When local food influencer Armani Thao asked his nephew Landon to help create a new ice cream sundae, Landon had one response — “Ooooh yeah.”

Brookline’s political system makes it accessible to young people — and it has fostered an environment with a strong emphasis on civic and youth participation.

Despite the rain, over 3,500 people gathered April 26 to clear trash and invasive plants from green spaces surrounding the Charles River and its tributaries.  The Earth Day Charles River Cleanup, hosted annually since 1999, is one of the largest river cleanups in the county.