Event to celebrate Earth Day mayor

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Len Yannielli will be honored Saturday at Naugatuck’s Earth Day Mayor for the Day. –CONTRIBUTED

NAUGATUCK — The borough will honor its 2017 Earth Day Mayor for the Day Len Yannielli at a special celebration Saturday at Gunntown Passive Park and Nature Preserve.

The recognition is given to individuals who have demonstrated a love of nature, an understanding of climate change, and interrelationships between living beings and the earth, a press release stated. The Earth Day event is sponsored by the Naugatuck Environmental Network, former Earth Day mayors and the Naugatuck Mayor’s office.

Yannielli has been involved with environmental issues for over 35 years. He has been the community outreach director of The Gunntown Group, a grassroots committee for a cultural/environmental center, for 22 years. He is the compiler of the Naugatuck Environmental Network and initiated an effort to have the Gunntown Passive Park and Nature Preserve designated as a Connecticut Freedom Trail site.

The celebration begins at 12 p.m. at the story-telling area in Gunntown Passive Park and Nature Preserve, 94 Gunntown Road. In case of rain, the event will be celebrated at the Whittemore Library, 243 Church St., at the same time.