Although clouds loomed above, ready to rain, Brookline’s 2025 Spring Fest carried on. Crowds of people gathered to listen to live music. Children got their faces painted and made flower bracelets. Others went on a guided tree identification walk.
Spring Fest, coordinated by Brookline’s Department of Public Works, ran from 11-2 p.m. on Saturday, May 31 at Olmsted Park Allerton Overlook. The event was co-sponsored by the Brookline Greenspace Alliance, Brookline Mothers Out Front, the Brookline Rotary Club, City on a Hill and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.
Dozens of environmental organizations set up pop-up tents that displayed information and activities related to the climate. Among them was Brookline Mothers Out Front, a grassroots organization of primarily parents and grandparents who strive to preserve a healthy climate for future generations through the use of renewable energy. Displayed on their table were induction cooktops, which provide a greener and more efficient alternative to traditional stoves.
Laura Knott, co-coordinator of Brookline Mothers Out Front, said that although many people are worried about climate change, they often are not aware of specific, accessible methods in which they are able to combat it.
“We’re trying to give people ways to take the first step, because many people don’t know where to begin,” Knott said.
This year’s Spring Fest not only teaches people about steps that they can take against climate change, but it also immerses them into the local environment, according to President of Brookline GreenSpace Alliance Sean Lynn-Jones. The Brookline GreenSpace Alliance is a nonprofit organization that supports policy, public engagement and fundraising for Brookline’s parks.
“This is a great way to facilitate education about our parks–the tree walk that was going on here–which is a really good thing, of the town’s doing of this event. And so many people are learning more about environmental issues from all of the other groups here, including the GreenSpace Alliance,” Lynn-Jones said.
Brookline residents acknowledge that there is still much to get done. Sophomore Sophia Morales volunteered to be a face painter for this year’s Spring Fest. This past summer, she studied environmental science and protection abroad in Australia. According to Morales, Australians placed emphasis on nature as part of their culture, a distinct contrast from Brookline.
“I feel like Brookline is a little bit late to the game,” Morales said. “I think they have a lot of festivals like this, versus when I was in Australia, it was more like it was embedded in their culture. So it’s like Brookline is getting to that point.”
Brookline resident Cristina Brinkerhoff also said that there is a long way to go, regarding environmental action. She appreciates the purpose of this year’s Spring Fest and believes that measures against climate change must be taken–and promptly.
“The world is getting warmer. There is not a lot that we have done, but there’s a lot that we can do,” Brinkerhoff said. “And the time to do something is now.”
