CYL Service Adventure
We're excited to welcome you back for our first large-scale service project in over a year! In collaboration with Tree-Plenish, join Colorado Young Leaders on Global Youth Service Day (April 24th) for a safe, family friendly and Earth loving day of service! CYL will be planting over 200 trees in a single day and we need your help! Sign up a team, your family or just yourself to plant trees in neighborhoods throughout Denver.
Prior to tree planting teams, will be led through a youth led activity supporting youth mental health and the arts. The Southwest and Central Denver Chapters have been working hard on creating a small activity to help ground you in a purposeful art activity to support your mental health.
How it works
- Sign up yourself or a team (no larger than 5 per team). Each team will be required to have at least one vehicle and one adult in their group. This is a great option for families who would like to serve together.
- Select your shift. There are AM or PM options, each shift is roughly 3 hours - it all depends on how fast you plant trees!
- After registration, you will receive an email with more details - make sure to check your spam folder if you didn't receive the email!
- The trees will be planted in yards of homes in neighborhoods throughout Denver. If you want to participate, but Dekoevend is far for you, please contact Lauren! We have trees that need planting all over Denver!
If you have questions on how to sign up yourself and/or your team, please contact Hayley.
What to do upon arrival
- When you arrive on site, you will check in, participate in a wellness screening to ensure you can safely participate, and watch a short video on how to plant a tree!
- From here, your team may choose to participate in a pre-planting youth-led activity focused on art and mental health. Teams are encouraged to participate in the youth-led community building activity, but we also recognize those teams who would like to keep their distance and simply show up, pick up their trees to plant, and then get out there and plant. We want to ensure families and tree planters feel comfortable and encourage you to do what is best for your team.
- Finally, your team will be given your tree planting assignments. Each team will be planting trees at people's homes in the area where trees have been requested. You can expect to go to 2-3 homes and plant anywhere between 15 and 20 trees per team. Teams will not interact with home residents and all volunteers are required to wear masks for the duration of their tree planting shift.
What to bring/wear
- Teams should have at least one shovel.
- Be prepared for Colorado spring weather! It could be beautiful, it could be snowing, and it could be somewhere in between. Wear and bring layers and something to shield you from the sun. Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen are all great options.
- Make sure all team members have enough water to get them through the day
- Gloves will be provided by CYL, but feel free to bring your own
- CYL will provide snacks at the home base for you to take with you
COVID protocols
Small tree-planting teams will plant trees in the yards of homeowners that requested them. Tree planters will first meet at DeKoevend Park, participate in a wellness screening, learn how to plant a tree, pick up their saplings, participate in a CYL youth-led activity (optional but really fun!), receive their list of assigned houses, and leave to begin planting. The following safety measures will be in place:
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Masks and Social Distancing: all people participation in the tree-planting activities must wear masks covering their nose and mouth at all times. This includes tree planters of all ages and homeowners who are interacting with the tree planters. This is also required when driving between homes, for those volunteers who are not of the same household in a single car. Tree planters are allowed and encouraged to refuse tree planting for homeowners that refuse to comply with these guidelines. CDC social distancing guidelines must be followed when possible.
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Limited Volunteer Size: Volunteer planting teams can consist of no more than 5 people, and represent no more than 2 households*. The number of people at each initial planting location will be limited to the county’s maximum number of people allowed for outdoor gatherings.
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Wellness Screening: Upon arriving at the initial meeting location, tree planters will scan a QR code and complete a digital wellness screening to ensure they have not been in contact with someone with COVID or is experiencing symptoms. Screening is required before participation.
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If you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or if you have been in contact with anyone in the last 14 days who tested positive in the last 14 days, please do not attend. If you requested a tree at your house and are unable to participate, please contact Lauren.
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Maintain physical distancing standards [6-10 feet] as often as possible during tree planting
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Sanitizer will be provided and participants are encouraged to wash hands often.
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All CYL Staff members are vaccinated.
If you have more questions about the tree planting project, please don't hesitate to reach out to Lauren Steavpack, CYL Program Director. See the attached document for CYL's specific COVID protocols for this project.
