Planting Roots at Mariposa

On Cinco de Mayo, Alta Housing staff and residents gathered at Mariposa Club Apartments to plant new trees in partnership with Canopy, a nonprofit dedicated to building and protecting the urban forest. What started as a landscaping project quickly became a true community celebration.

For Mariposa’s youngest residents, the day was hands-on and unforgettable. Children helped dig holes, prepare soil, and learn what trees need to grow and thrive. With guidance from Canopy staff and the Alta team, they experienced something simple and powerful: caring for the environment is a way of caring for one another. After the planting was complete, the celebration continued with laughter and a well-loved piñata.

Jean-Paul Renaud, Executive Director of Canopy, reflected on the day:

“Planting trees with the residents of Mariposa Club Apartments is community forestry at its best — people investing in their own shared space. Our partnership with Alta Housing shows how affordable housing and urban greening can work hand in hand to create healthier, more connected neighborhoods. When residents plant the trees that will shade their homes, it transforms both the landscape and the sense of belonging.”

The new trees will provide shade, cleaner air, and long-term environmental benefits for years to come. Just as important, they represent something less visible but equally lasting: ownership, pride, and connection. The children who planted them will grow alongside them, and that is community-building in its most tangible form.