The Sidewalk Classroom: Teaching Urban Forestry to Denver's First Graders

What does a raised tree bed have to do with a tree's health and success? Denver's first graders know the answer.

At Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES), learning goes beyond the classroom. Each year, first graders complete a unit about trees, and the Downtown Denver Partnership supports this curriculum with interactive presentations and guided walking tours of downtown's tree infrastructure.

During these walks, students visit tree beds of varying sizes built through the Urban Forest Initiative (UFI), a Downtown Denver Partnership managed, program that has provided nearly 140 tree beds downtown with larger growing spaces. With measuring tapes, they compare bed sizes and identify which ones give trees the best chance to thrive. This year's tour also highlighted two new lessons: raised tree beds help protect roots from harmful sidewalk salt runoff during Denver's snowy winters, and fencing around beds helps keep pets out, giving young trees the space they need to establish themselves.

These young learners leave with a real understanding of urban design and environmental stewardship, knowledge they'll carry forward as Denver's next generation of community members!

Curious to learn more? Explore the UFI walking tour, just like the students.