Page 12 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MAy 1, 2026 City’s Earth Day Clean-Up draws over 200 volunteers to Gateway Park waterfront Community members, city officials and local organizations unite to remove 25+ bags of litter and install 300+ native plantings at Gateway Park Volunteers gathered for a group photo at Gateway Park during the City of Everett’s 2026 Earth Day Community Clean-Up. (Photos courtesy City of Everett) EARTH DAY | FROM PAGE 12 Special to The Advocate M ore than 200 volunteers gathered on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Gateway Park for the City of Everett’s annual Earth Day Community Clean-Up. In partnership with Clean Up Everett, volunteers removed more than 25 bags of litter and installed more than 300 native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants along the Malden River, continuing a city-led effort to expand access to clean, healthy outdoor spaces in one of Massachusetts’ most densely populated communities. As a designated Environmental Justice community, Everett has made investment in its parks and green spaces a civic priority. Saturday’s event builds on growing momentum as part of a multiyear revitalization effort that includes large-scale planting and ecological restoration projects. “What you see today is not a one-time event,” said Mayor Robert J. Van Campen. “It is part of a longer commitment this city has made to its waterfront, and to every resident who deserves a clean, green neighborhood to call home.” The planting effort represented one of the most ecologically ambitious components of this year’s event. Volunteers, City of Everett staff and community partners installed more than 10 species of native trees and shrubs that had been selected for their wildlife habitat value and air quality benefits, and applied soil-building groundcover, companion crop seed, and fungi specifically selected to support long-term soil remediation along the riverbank. This marks a critical step in restoring the health of a waterfront that has historically borne the environmental costs of Everett’s industrial past. The City of Everett and Mayor Van Campen extend their gratitude to all volunteers and community partners who made the event possible, including Clean Up Everett, Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), BSC Group, the New England Revolution, Electrify Everett, Everett Haitian Community Center (EHCC), Latinos Unidos en MassachuVolunteers enjoyed a cookout hosted by the City of Everett following a morning of hard work at the 2026 Earth Day Community Clean-Up at Gateway Park. setts (LUMA), Eliot Family Resource Center (EFRC), Kiwanis, For Kids Only (FKO) and the more than 200 Everett residents who gave their Saturday morning to their city. The City of Everett remains committed to keeping its neighborhoods and parks clean. For information on upcoming community events and volunteer opportunities, visit cityofeverett.com/calendar or follow the City on social media.
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