How are we reacting to and preparing for the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)?
Community and staff safety during the coronavirus disease outbreak. Last Updated 4/8/20.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
TGF takes the safety of our students, volunteers, and staff members very seriously. We understand that this can be a very stressful and confusing time for everyone. Here are some resources and tips to help you and your family as we work together to minimize the impact of COVID-19:
Don't forget, our River is still a safe and great place to go! There's a lot to do in our parks and along the River, whether it's riding along the trail or flipping over rocks looking for crawdads - just make sure you stay off the playgrounds for now. The South Platte is a great place to go for some outside, social distancing fun.
- DPS COVID-19 Information has information on Denver Public Schools' response and updates.
- Colorado state specific updates about the virus can be found at State of Colorado COVID-19 information
- This is a challenging time emotionally. Ways to cope with the stress of COVID-19 and other valuable mental health tips can be found at Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19
- Children are going to feel stress at this time too! Here are 12 Tips to Reduce Your Child's Stress and Anxiety
- This is an evolving situation; the CDC coronavirus website is the best source of up to the minute information
- If needed, updates specific to Institute events will be posted on the Institute Response Page
- Get daily geographical updates from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
- While CDC considers this a serious public health concern, the immediate health risk to the general American public is considered low, at this time
- Practice social distancing to decrease the rate of the spread of coronavirus. We can all do our part to ensure that we're following recommended guidelines and helping our community, working locally and globally to do the best we can to minimize the impact of this virus.
- Check out our guide to using our parks spaced during Colorado's Stay-at-Home order.
Don't forget, our River is still a safe and great place to go! There's a lot to do in our parks and along the River, whether it's riding along the trail or flipping over rocks looking for crawdads - just make sure you stay off the playgrounds for now. The South Platte is a great place to go for some outside, social distancing fun.
HOW TO HELP Our River
The Greenway Foundation is doing our best to continue operations (including keeping on all seasonal, hourly staff) during this difficult and unique time, but we are still a small, local non-profit, and right now we are not able to run the programs that bring in money. Please consider a one-time donation, or become a Friend of Greenway (FrOG) and join our monthly donor program. Any assistance you can provide is felt immediately, and is greatly appreciated.
spree Excursions
Due to public health officials' warnings and DPS' shift to virtual learning, The Greenway Foundation (TGF) has cancelled all of our SPREE excursions through the remainder of the school year. If you are signed up for a cancelled excursion, we will be in touch regarding alternative opportunities for your students. If you have already made a payment for a cancelled excursion, please reach out to excursions@greenwayfoundation.org.
Head over to our Kids Page for ideas on how to keep your kiddos engaged and entertained while school is out! And don't forget - the River is never closed! Just be sure to keep your youth off playground structures, but there's still plenty of fun to be had at the River.
Head over to our Kids Page for ideas on how to keep your kiddos engaged and entertained while school is out! And don't forget - the River is never closed! Just be sure to keep your youth off playground structures, but there's still plenty of fun to be had at the River.
SPREE SCHOOL BREAK/HOLIDAY CAMPS
Due to public health officials' warnings and the announcement of DPS upcoming school closure, The Greenway Foundation (TGF) has cancelled all of our SPREE holiday camps, through April 30. We plan to reschedule as many events and programs as we can. If your child is registered to attend a SPREE holiday camp from now until April 30, you will receive a separate email with additional information. We will be monitoring the situation closely and provide updates if plans change.
Head over to our Kids Page for ideas on how to keep your kiddos engaged and entertained while school is out! And don't forget - the River is never closed! Just be sure to keep your youth off playground structures, but there's still plenty of fun to be had at the River.
Head over to our Kids Page for ideas on how to keep your kiddos engaged and entertained while school is out! And don't forget - the River is never closed! Just be sure to keep your youth off playground structures, but there's still plenty of fun to be had at the River.
SPREE Summer Camp
These times have been challenging for all of us at TGF and, in particular, our various SPREE programs and initiatives. We have spent countless hours reviewing budgets, discussing scenarios, and trying to determine the best decisions for “all things SPREE”, considering the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Until this week, we had been optimistic that SPREE’s award-winning Summer Camps would be able to take place as planned. However, recently released regulations that further limit the engagement and usage of our City’s park system will not allow our SPREE Summer Camps to take place in 2020.
Please know that we are deeply saddened to have to cancel an entire summer of SPREE Summer Camps. We are fully aware of the significant inconvenience and disappointment this news has likely caused. Please understand our heartache at TGF. We are working on alternative camp programs, more information will be posted on our Summer Camp page as these programs develop.
If you have any questions, please visit our Summer Camp page. Feel free to email us at camp@greenwayfoundation.org or call us at 720-306-8000.
Until this week, we had been optimistic that SPREE’s award-winning Summer Camps would be able to take place as planned. However, recently released regulations that further limit the engagement and usage of our City’s park system will not allow our SPREE Summer Camps to take place in 2020.
Please know that we are deeply saddened to have to cancel an entire summer of SPREE Summer Camps. We are fully aware of the significant inconvenience and disappointment this news has likely caused. Please understand our heartache at TGF. We are working on alternative camp programs, more information will be posted on our Summer Camp page as these programs develop.
If you have any questions, please visit our Summer Camp page. Feel free to email us at camp@greenwayfoundation.org or call us at 720-306-8000.
SPREE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Due to public health officials' warnings and the announcement of DPS upcoming school closure, The Greenway Foundation (TGF) has cancelled all of our high school programming through April 30. We plan to reschedule as many events and programs as we can. If you are part of the River Ranger Internships, or have signed up for a GLC event, please stay posted, and you will receive a separate email with additional information. We will be monitoring the situation closely and provide updates if plans change.
The WAter Connection
We are monitoring the situation and making decisions about future events as we learn more information. Our commitment is keeping our community as safe and healthy as possible. As of now, the status of each of our upcoming events is listed below. Please note this is likely to change as we learn more about COVID-19.
Reception on the River - Thursday, July 23 - PROCEEDING
Plans are on hold for future Greenway Untapped events.
The Water Connection is continuing our efforts to address water resource challenges. Gutter Bins and Nautilus are still in the ground working away for clean water. We are still engaging in policy projects through working remotely, and are continuing our focus on planning a new Clean River Design Challenge looking forward to 2021.
Reception on the River - Thursday, July 23 - PROCEEDING
Plans are on hold for future Greenway Untapped events.
The Water Connection is continuing our efforts to address water resource challenges. Gutter Bins and Nautilus are still in the ground working away for clean water. We are still engaging in policy projects through working remotely, and are continuing our focus on planning a new Clean River Design Challenge looking forward to 2021.
THE GREENWAY FOUNDATION EVENTS
We are monitoring the situation and making decisions about future events as we learn more information. Our commitment is keeping our community as safe and healthy as possible. As of now, the status of each of our upcoming events is listed below. Please note this is likely to change as we learn more about COVID-19.
South Platte Stewardship Day & Family South Platte Stewardship Day - Saturday, May 2 - CANCELLED
Please check back for ways to participate remotely or virtually - our River can always use our help, and we don't have to all be together to make a difference!
Art on the the River (SPREE Family Event) - Saturday, May 16 - PROCEEDING
Citizens for the River - Saturday, June 20 - PROCEEDING
Reception on the River - Thursday, July 23 - PROCEEDING
Gala on the Bridge - Thursday, September 10 - PROCEEDING
Bridge Party - Friday, September 11 - PROCEEDING
Please contact Ryan Aids at ryan@greenwayfoundation.org with any questions.
South Platte Stewardship Day & Family South Platte Stewardship Day - Saturday, May 2 - CANCELLED
Please check back for ways to participate remotely or virtually - our River can always use our help, and we don't have to all be together to make a difference!
Art on the the River (SPREE Family Event) - Saturday, May 16 - PROCEEDING
Citizens for the River - Saturday, June 20 - PROCEEDING
Reception on the River - Thursday, July 23 - PROCEEDING
Gala on the Bridge - Thursday, September 10 - PROCEEDING
Bridge Party - Friday, September 11 - PROCEEDING
Please contact Ryan Aids at ryan@greenwayfoundation.org with any questions.
Ways to Enjoy the River
Here are some guidelines to follow during our Stay-at-Home order.
The South Platte River is still a great, safe place to go during this time. There's a lot to do through our parks and along the River. Just make sure you stay off the playgrounds, don't congregate in groups, or use picnic tables. And definitely stay 6 feet away from other trail users! But otherwise the South Platte is a great place to go for some outside, social distancing fun.
Some ideas include:
- Go for a walk or run
- Ride your own bike or your own scooter
- Explore a new park
- Pick up trash along your neighborhood waterways
- See how many native plants you can identify (bonus points if you spot our state tree: blue spruce!)
- Check out our Kids Page for more ideas on how to have fun with social distancing
- Visit the southeast corner of Larimer St. and 15th St. to see The Water Connection's Gutter Bin in action!
- Walk to the Nautilus, which is installed on the north side of the Cherry Creek between Market St. and Blake St.
Please be smart and use our parks only in the ways we're allowed right now. That means no team sports or group hang outs. If you're on a run or on your bike, cross the street or step into the grass when passing someone to maintain that distance of 6 feet. Check our our tips about how to be safe and smart when going outside!
The South Platte River is still a great, safe place to go during this time. There's a lot to do through our parks and along the River. Just make sure you stay off the playgrounds, don't congregate in groups, or use picnic tables. And definitely stay 6 feet away from other trail users! But otherwise the South Platte is a great place to go for some outside, social distancing fun.
Some ideas include:
- Go for a walk or run
- Ride your own bike or your own scooter
- Explore a new park
- Pick up trash along your neighborhood waterways
- See how many native plants you can identify (bonus points if you spot our state tree: blue spruce!)
- Check out our Kids Page for more ideas on how to have fun with social distancing
- Visit the southeast corner of Larimer St. and 15th St. to see The Water Connection's Gutter Bin in action!
- Walk to the Nautilus, which is installed on the north side of the Cherry Creek between Market St. and Blake St.
Please be smart and use our parks only in the ways we're allowed right now. That means no team sports or group hang outs. If you're on a run or on your bike, cross the street or step into the grass when passing someone to maintain that distance of 6 feet. Check our our tips about how to be safe and smart when going outside!
TGF cares deeply about the Denver community. If you have additional questions, please reach out. We look forward to full engaging TGF's longstanding mission to Revitalize Rivers and Reconnect Communities later this year.