On September 17th, volunteers from the American Rental Association (ARA) and Toro Foundation launched the next phase of the native landscape restoration in Athmar Park. The project is part of the ARA and Toro’s Community Impact Program, which donates funding and equipment rental to support community initiatives.
After Denver Parks & Recreation installed new irrigation, Toro and ARA volunteers used their equipment to cultivate and enrich the soil along two blocks of the greenway. A momentous step for the West Tennessee Avenue Greenway project, the first planting day included planting 9 trees and 1,200 plants, and spreading 4 tons of mulch. These enhancements will provide shade for people who use the trail, food and shelter for pollinators, and beautiful, water-wise landscapes for the neighborhood.
“This is a project that has been a long time coming,” said Jolon Clark, Executive Director of Denver Parks & Recreation. “This is going to be a beautiful place that the community can use and walk through on the path—taking something that was really just an eyesore and making it a park. So this is a huge project for us and something that we couldn’t do without our amazing partners.”
Additional support from the Gates Family Foundation, Metro Denver Nature Alliance, and Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will fund the remaining eight blocks of the trail in 2026-2027. Learn more about the West Tennessee Avenue Greenway project here.