# The Park People

> Denver nonprofit providing free and low-cost trees through Denver Digs Trees and improving city parks since 1969

Source: https://treerm.org/org/the-park-people · Updated 2026-11-08 · Data license: CC BY 4.0 (https://treerm.org/about#license)

## Facts

- Type: Nonprofit
- Scope: Local
- Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, United States
- Founded: 1969
- Website: https://theparkpeople.org
- Volunteer sign-up: https://theparkpeople.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/
- Donate: https://theparkpeople.org/donate/
- Events calendar: https://theparkpeople.org/events/
- Countries where they plant: United States
- Activity types: Tree adoption & giveaways (primary), Urban forestry, Education & advocacy
- Trees on record: 70,000 (larger of latest cumulative figure and sum of annual figures; trees planted or distributed)

## About

The Park People is a Denver 501(c)(3) founded in 1969 that works with communities to plant trees and improve parks. Its Denver Digs Trees program, running for over 40 years, provides free and low-cost street and yard trees to Denver residents each spring and fall ($15 in low-canopy neighborhoods, $50 elsewhere, free with a Treeship application), with volunteers inspecting sites and planting for residents with limited mobility. It also runs Mile High Tree Champions corporate plantings in parks and at schools and affordable housing, the Community Forester workshop series, the TreeForce urban forestry pre-apprenticeship, and Park Legacy tribute trees, and has completed more than 50 capital projects in Denver parks.

## Programs

- **Denver Digs Trees** — Tree adoption & giveaways: Free and low-cost trees for Denver homes, businesses, nonprofits and schools: street trees in spring and yard trees in spring and fall, with applications in January-February and August, site inspections, permitting help, pickup days and planting workshops. https://theparkpeople.org/our-work/denver-digs-trees/
- **Mile High Tree Champions** — Urban forestry: Sponsored group tree plantings and stewardship events for companies and organizations at Denver parks, schools, hospitals and affordable housing, in partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation. https://theparkpeople.org/our-work/mile-high-tree-champions/
- **Community Forester** — Education & advocacy: Five-part classroom and field workshop series held in Denver parks; taking two or more earns Tree Steward status and all five the Community Forester title, supporting local tree teams. https://theparkpeople.org/our-work/community-forester/
- **TreeForce** — Education & advocacy: Workforce development pre-apprenticeship preparing people facing barriers to employment for careers in urban forestry; cohort 8 graduated in spring 2026. https://theparkpeople.org/our-work/treeforce/
- **Park Legacy** — Urban forestry: Tribute trees and pavers placed in Denver parks in honor or memory of individuals. https://theparkpeople.org/our-work/park-legacy/

## Metrics

> Note: The Park People publishes no annual report with yearly tree counts; its cumulative figures differ by source: the homepage says over 70,000 trees since 1969, its Form 990 for the year ending June 2025 says more than 65,000 across all programs, and the About Us page attributes more than 65,000 free and low-cost trees to Denver Digs Trees alone. The only recent annual figure found is 1,200 trees distributed in spring 2026 (from its May 2026 newsletter), which excludes the fall distribution.

| Metric | Year | Value | Cumulative | Program | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---:|---|---|---|---|
| Funds raised (USD) | 2025 | 3,750,843 | no (that year) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/846045624) ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 84-6045624: total revenue $3,750,843 and total expenses $2,032,403 for the fiscal year ending June 2025 (Form 990) |
| Trees planted | 2025 | 65,000 | yes (to date) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/846045624/202631319349302863/full) IRS Form 990 TY2024 (fiscal year ending June 30, 2025), Part III: 'More than 65,000 trees have been planted through ongoing programs including Denver Digs Trees, Mile High Tree Champions, and the Park Legacy Program' |
| Trees planted | 2026 | 70,000 | yes (to date) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://theparkpeople.org/) Homepage: 'Since 1969 we've engaged residents and partners to plant over 70,000 trees and improve more than 50 parks' (accessed Nov 2026) |
| Trees distributed | 2026 | 1,200 | no (that year) | Denver Digs Trees | Self-reported | [source](https://groups.google.com/g/cityofdenver/c/bpuTEebcn2Y) The Park People May 2026 e-newsletter (archived on the City of Denver Google Group): 'This spring, we distributed 1,200 trees to our community members through our Denver Digs Trees program'; over 800 households applied, 60% of trees went to low-canopy neighborhoods, over 200 volunteers inspected sites and planted 172 trees for residents with physical limitations. Spring distribution only; the fall 2026 yard tree round is not included. |
| Trees distributed | 2026 | 65,000 | yes (to date) | Denver Digs Trees | Self-reported | [source](https://theparkpeople.org/about-us/) About Us page: Denver Digs Trees has provided 'more than 65,000 free and low-cost' trees to residents citywide, having started with 50 affordable trees in the West Washington Park neighborhood (accessed Nov 2026) |

Confidence labels: self-reported means the organization published the figure itself; independently verified means a third party confirmed it; estimated means TreeRM worked it out, and the note says how.

## Links

- instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theparkpeople_denverdigstrees/
- facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParkPeopleDen/
- linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-park-people
- youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheParkPeopleDenver/

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