'Selling Out Like Hotcakes': Nonprofit Handing Out Free, Discounted Trees
DENVER (CBS4) - There may be snow on the ground but your time to get a free or deeply discounted tree for planting this spring is running out.
"The trees are selling out like hotcakes, but they're still available so I advise people to apply as soon as possible," said Leah Shafer, the Program Manager at The Park People.
The 50-year-old Denver nonprofit has been running the Denver Digs Trees Program for more than 35 years, offering 10 types of trees.
"There's a lot of reasons trees are wonderful and why Denver residents are interested. It's not only beautifying the neighborhood which they definitely do, and we all love that, but people are really interested in the environmental benefits and the social impacts as well," said Shafer, who admits she's been a "tree hugger" since birth.
The Park People have helped plant more than 50,000 trees around Denver, but are hoping to plant even more with an possible insect infestation coming.
"Because of the impending arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer, which is an invasive insect that's going to take out the ash trees in Denver it's really important for us to plant trees right now. So they can infill when the ash trees die and we'll have trees already established and ready to go," Shafer said.
The application deadline for trees is Feb. 15.