Keep Mesquite Beautiful presents growth, volunteer impact and Butterfly Trail overhaul to council

Jonathan Shetty, executive director of Keep Mesquite Beautiful (KMB), briefed the Mesquite City Council on April 21 about program growth, youth engagement and upcoming projects, saying the organization marked increased volunteer hours, community events and fundraising in 2024 and early 2025.

Nut graf: KMB said it recorded roughly 6,912 volunteer hours, an economic impact the group valued at $231,568.75, recycled more than 53,000 pounds of material across events, distributed 700+ trees and planted 525+ plants. The group budgeted $30,000 for a Butterfly Trail update that KMB expects to complete for a May 24 grand opening and said youth environmental leaders helped expand school-based green teams.

What council heard - Programs and participation: Shetty said KMB now runs roughly 30 events annually (about one every other week), including Mesquite Recycles Day, Monarch Fest, Sweet Mesquite Saturdays, tree giveaways and a recycled-art fashion show that grew significantly in 2024. He said the volunteer board and programs now total about 56 paid members and 26 registered campus green teams serving 500+ students. - Youth engagement: Two youth environmental leaders, Viviana Gonzales and Kellen Wafer of Vanguard, described school activities (trash bashes, mural painting, recycled-rodeo participation) and reported 16 schools and 13,000 students participating in the recent recycled rodeo. - Butterfly Trail and Monarch Fest: Shetty said the Butterfly Trail renovation budget is about $30,000 for benches, sculptures, a mural and plantings; KMB aims for a May 24 grand opening pending final approvals. Monarch Fest drew 2,500 people in the prior year and KMB plans to include live butterflies and more vendors in July. - Funding and capacity: Shetty said KMB's operating allocation through the city is modest (listed $6,635 per year in one line item) and that KMB supplements that with fundraising; KMB added $30,000 from fundraising this year to its budget. He said the Butterfly Trail project may exceed its budget but the board supports the overage.

Council reaction and follow-ups - Council expressed praise for youth participants and encouraged continued partnership with the city; Councilmember Elizabeth Rodriguez Ross said the city and district would discuss shared costs for any playground relocations tied to school projects. - Shetty asked for better program reporting from volunteers (number of bags collected, volunteer hours) so KMB can quantify impact.

Ending The council recognized KMB's volunteers and youth leaders and encouraged residents to participate in upcoming events including the spring Trash Bash (April 26) and Monarch Fest (July 19). Shetty said staff will continue work on the Butterfly Trail and return with progress updates as approvals are secured.