UPDATE: Check out this video of our tree planting in Sunnyside!

Rounding out a week of activities around Earth Day, many of our staff will don T-shirts and old jeans and get their hands dirty Saturday morning at a tree planting in Northwest Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood. The planting of 400 trees will increase the tree canopy in one of Denver’s most underserved and least shady neighborhoods.

Our participation in the project is part of “DNCC Service Days,” an effort to give back to the community that has been such a gracious host, and reflects our commitment to making this year’s Democratic Convention the most environmentally-sustainable event of its kind.

The project is part of the Mile High Million, Mayor John Hickenlooper’s initiative to plant more than 1 million trees in metro Denver over the next 19 years. In a bit of a warm–up exercise, some of my colleagues participated yesterday in another city-sponsored tree planting on Auraria Parkway, not far from the Pepsi Center, home of our 2008 Convention. You can check out our work – and perhaps catch a bit of shade – when you arrive here in August.

More from Earth Week at the DNCC:

• Green Screen Episode 2: Climate Change
• Earth Day Must Read: DNCC Commitment to Greening Democratic Convention is 'About Stewardship'
• Democratic National Convention Committee Rolls Out Technology Strategies Behind The Most Environmentally Sustainable Democratic Convention To Date
• Speaker Pelosi, DNCC Announce Green Delegate Challenge For 2008 Democratic National Convention
• Greening the 2008 Democratic National Convention 

There was no shortage of green ties or agreement across party lines at the Pepsi Center this morning, that the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver would be the greenest on record.  But don’t take our word for it.  Watch the video below to hear Colorado’s Governor and a Bush administration EPA official singing the same tune.

While the Convention may seem a long way off, there’s a lot going on at the DNCC as we lay the groundwork for the historic event that will put our nominee on a path to victory in November. With all the focus on the primary race, you may have missed some of the news the Convention in Denver is making. Check out just a few of the stories from this week.

UPDATE: Check out this video for a taste of a few of the pieces of art found in our office.

This Wednesday, DNCC CEO Leah Daughtry visited Boulder, Colorado for the third in an ongoing series of Convention Conversations. Joining Daughtry on stage was Colorado House Majority Leader Alice Madden.

In addition to offering information on how Boulder residents and members of the local business community can get involved in the Convention experience, a good portion of the discussion focused on organizers’ efforts to “green” Convention planning. During the forum, Leah introduced Andrea Robinson, the first ever Director of Greening for a Democratic National Convention. Watch this video to hear Leahs remarks from Boulder and learn a bit more about the newest addition to the DNCC team.

To read more from media on this event click here, here and here.