Monday marks the 54th celebration of Earth Day. It was first held on April 22, 1970 to celebrate the planet.
In Hartford, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam kicked off celebrations at City Hall.
“It is so important that we stop on this Earth Day and think about our own impacts on the climate around us,” he said.
Meanwhile in East Hartford, the city planted 35 Japanese cherry blossom trees.
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“The beautification of this area is very much welcome in East Hartford,” Mayor Connor Martin said.
The trees were gifted to the city by the U.S. and Japan Society of Connecticut, which donated two trees last year to Wickham Memorial Library in East Hartford.
“What could be a better gift? A gift that will not only help us breath better, but feel better,” Sen. Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) said. “This is a multi-generation gift to East Hartford.”
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Toshiko Uchino led the effort to get the tree planted at the road entrance of Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
“I thought that this will be the best location to plant cherry trees,” Uchino said. “Cherry trees symbolize the life cycle.”
Governor Ned Lamont was in attendance and praised Uchino.
