Governor Maura Healey, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, and Undersecretary of Environmental Justice & Equity María Belén Power joined Mayor Christenson in Malden to kick off Earth Week last Tuesday. Local Girl Scouts, students from the Malden Teen Enrichment Center and the YWCA were all in attendance to assist the Governor and the Mayor in planting several trees along Walnut Street at the Ferryway School.
The effort was to further the Greening of the Gateway Cities program coordinated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) which targets Environmental Justice neighborhoods in gateway cities that have lower tree inventory and a larger population. Increasing tree plantings will help save energy, protect air, and water quality and will improve overall community health.
Governor Healey took the time to personally thank Malden DPW Director Bob Knox for his efforts and also Cemetery Director and Malden Tree Warden Chris Rosa for his continued work with DCR to reach a goal of planting 2,400 new trees in the City of Malden.
“I’m grateful to Governor Healey for her support of our City and for coming here to celebrate Earth Day in Malden,” said Mayor Christenson. “The Greening the Gateway Cities Program is a great example of working together to increase the tree cover in many of our neighborhoods.”
Pictured: YWCA students with (from left) State Senator Jason Lewis; Secretary of Environmental Justice & Equity María Belén Power; Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper; Governor Maura Healey; Mayor Gary Christenson; and Ward 1 Councillor Peg Crowe.