Sanderson Gulch Food Forest Mulch & Beaver Tree Protection Day 🌿🦫
Saturday, January 31 | 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 Sanderson Gulch, Ruby Hill
Weather dependent. Canceled if there is snow.

Join neighbors and friends for a hands-on community work day supporting both the Sanderson Gulch Food Forest and the health of the broader Gulch ecosystem.

A food forest is a garden modeled after a natural forest ecosystem. It layers trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcover to grow food while building healthy soil, supporting pollinators, and creating resilient habitat for people and wildlife.

During this work day, we will focus on two important efforts:

Food Forest Mulching
We will add thick layers of mulch to the tree basins to jump-start soil life. Mulch supports decomposition, the carbon cycle, moisture retention, and soil biology, helping prepare the basins for planting trees and shrubs later this spring.

Beaver Tree Protection
In partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation, we will also help protect remaining trees between the Sanderson Gulch bridge and Florida. A DPR staff member will be on site to help guide volunteers in painting and caging trees to reduce beaver damage while allowing beavers to remain part of a healthier, functioning ecosystem. These efforts support groundwater recharge, habitat creation, and long-term resilience along the Gulch.

We will begin by sharing nettle tea and taking a few minutes for an optional short visualization and intention-setting meditation, offering care, healing, and gratitude to the land before getting to work.

What to bring:

• Warm layers and sturdy shoes

• A mug or thermos if you would like nettle tea

• Water bottle 

• A picnic blanket or folding chair if you would like to sit during the meditation

• Wheelbarrows or pitchforks if you have them (some tools will be provided)

This is a welcoming, all-ages event. Come for the work, the learning, the tea, or simply to be in community as we care for the Gulch together.