By Robert Haugh

Santa Clara will mark Earth Day and Arbor Day today with a free community event at the Triton Museum of Art.

The city’s 2026 Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 2 at the museum grounds, 1505 Warburton Ave., across from City Hall.

Mayor Lisa Gillmor announced in her e-newsletter that the event will include a performance, a tree-climbing demonstration, a commemorative tree planting, exhibitor booths focused on environmental education, and a pedestrian rodeo tied to Santa Clara’s Safe Routes to School program.

The annual celebration is meant to highlight the role trees play in daily life and in the broader environment. Trees help clean the air, reduce the effects of climate change, provide habitat for wildlife and lower energy use.

Earth Day and Arbor Day are a chance to “pause, look up at the trees lining our streets, and remember why it matters to take care of the world we share,” said Gillmor.

Gillmor also pointed to a long-running distinction for the city.

Santa Clara has been named a Tree City USA community for the 38th time by the Arbor Day Foundation, a national program run in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service that recognizes cities for their urban forestry efforts.

The city has also received the Tree City USA Growth Award 25 times, according to Gillmor’s newsletter, an honor that recognizes communities for expanding and improving their urban forestry programs.

This year’s event will be held in a new setting at the Triton Museum, giving residents a more visible civic backdrop for the celebration.

The event is free and open to the public.

Residents with questions can contact the city at environment@santaclaraca.gov.