City Council Meeting

Catherine ReadI'm now going to ask Stephanie Kupka, Anna Safford, City Environmental Sustainability Committee members, Faiza Alam, Rusty Russell, and everyone else who is here from the ESC to come down here so we can talk about Earth Day and Arbor Day. All right, all right, all right. Did

There you go. Monarch butterfly later. Okay, not that I want to have any spoilers here, but. Whereas the city of Fairfax recognizes the natural environment as the foundation of a healthy society and a robust economy, providing essential resources that sustain life and contribute to the well-being of all. And whereas the global community faces extraordinary environmental challenges, including environmental degradation, global health issues, loss of habitat, climate change, and water and energy crises. And whereas Earth Day and Arbor Day serve as annual reminders that we are all caretakers of our planet and have an obligation to engage in environmental activism, stewardship, commitments, and sustainability efforts to preserve the Earth's beauty and resources for current and future generations.

And whereas the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, calling upon millions of Americans to act for a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment. And whereas the City of Fairfax has been recognized nationally as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for 40 years, setting aside a special day each year for the planting and celebration of trees is vital to our quality of life and environmental health. and whereas Earth Day and Arbor Day provide opportunities for the community to come together and participate in activities that promote a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment. Now, therefore, I, Catherine S. Reed, Mayor of the City of Fairfax, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2026 as Earth Day and April 24, 2026 as Arbor Day in the City of Fairfax, and hereby encourage

Faiza AlamGood evening everyone. So I'm here to as a science teacher standing here in front of you and the SC committee member to kind of this is a great day for all of us. We all are here. We breathe oxygen and we all breathe it thanks to our trees. So please join us on the Arbor Day event on April 25th and I would also like to make a pitch for making our carbon footprint a little better than what we do. I am one of the persons who benefited from the city's Solarize Virginia program last year, and I have solar panels on my house, and a few other friends who are also in this room have that. And since October, I have not paid anything to Dominion other than $7 something, and I have exported a lot of power out there.

and it will continue. It is a very good vetted program. It's the best rate you're going to get. So just spread the word out and do that. And please join us on the Arbor Day on April 25th. The event begins at 9 a.m. We will have some students who have written beautiful poetries. They will be reciting. We'll have tree giveaways, tree plantations, and a lot of fun. So please join us. All