Congratulations to Applewood Villages and Paramount Heights for being selected as the first two Wheat Ridge Sustainable Neighborhoods

Two neighborhoods have been selected for the Wheat Ridge Sustainable Neighborhoods program: Applewood Village and Paramount Heights. These neighborhoods will be working this fall to develop a neighborhood communications plan, a neighborhood leadership team, and will begin to plan some low-to-no contact and/or socially distanced projects for their neighborhoods. Neighbors have expressed interest in projects like seed swaps, composting workshops, home energy audits, and wildlife friendly yards. Applications for the Sustainable Neighborhoods program will open again in January 2021 and a “kick off event” is planned for the spring.

The Wheat Ridge Sustainable Neighborhoods Program provides residents with the opportunity to become active partners in helping make Wheat Ridge a more vibrant and sustainable community. Neighborhoods participating in this unique certification program receive guidance from City staff to organize workshops, projects, and events that enhance the livability of their neighborhood and reduce residents' ecological footprint.

Participating Sustainable Neighborhoods earn credits for achieving sustainability goals by completing projects such as: offering home energy workshops, hosting gatherings at the local community garden, cleaning up alleyways and parks, and encouraging neighbors to reduce water use at home. Depending on the number of credits earned in a given year, neighborhoods receive designation as a “Participating Sustainable Neighborhood” or as an “Outstanding Sustainable Neighborhood.”

Wheat Ridge participates with Lakewood, Denver, and Fort Collins in the Sustainable Neighborhoods Network. Learn more about the program and more about sustainability efforts in Wheat Ridge. Questions? Contact the Sustainability Coordinator Kayla Betzold at sustainability@ci.wheatridge.co.us or 303-235-2841.