Who We Are | Mission | Work | Team | Sponsors




About the Norwalk Tree Alliance

Our Mission

To promote and protect the urban forest of Norwalk, Connecticut, through education and advocacy that will broaden community understanding of the value of our forest and inspire commitment to its preservation and expansion.

Our Goals in Support of Our Mission

As the primary advocate for Norwalk’s urban forest, we advance our mission through four activities that complement and connect to each other:

PLANT

We encourage and facilitate the planting of trees on both public and private properties in the City of Norwalk.

EDUCATE

We implement education and awareness programs that target key constituencies within the community.

ADVISE

We advise key constituencies on matters related to Norwalk’s urban forest.

COLLABORATE

We partner with the City and other organizations to ensure Norwalk’s continued status as a “Tree City USA.”

Our Work

History Timeline of the Norwalk Tree Alliance

2003

Norwalk Tree Alliance Founded

Our mission: Promote and protect Norwalk’s urban forest through education and advocacy

First tree planted at a Norwalk school

We partner with the Board of Education to plant a tree every year on Arbor Day. Students, residents, and local dignitaries all participate in these planting ceremonies.

2004
2006

Award of Excellence for Community Trees

Our Urban Forest Improvement Program earned first palace in the Small City category, gaining national recognition for Norwalk and a $75,000 grant to revitalize our green infrastructure

First Annual Tree Festival in Cranbury Park

We hosted a day of free family-friendly entertainment and tree-centered education. Attendance grew to more than 2,000 people each year until the festival’s final year in 2017.

2007
2013

Fairfield County’s first municipal tree farm dedicated at Fodor Farm

With an $8,000 America the Beautiful grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, we planted native tree saplings to donate for civic properties like public parks.

NTA Tree Identification Project

To showcase the diversity and value of our urban forest, we identified selected trees in five local parks. Over 150 trees were tagged with signs at Calf Pasture Beach, Mathews Park, Cranbury Park, Rosa Parks Arboretum, and Shady Beach.

2014
2015

Free Tree Lottery begins!

With generous grants from the Third Taxing District, we planted (and continue to plant) trees at no cost to homeowners in East Norwalk neighborhoods every year.

Relocation to Fodor Farm

We moved our headquarters to the restored heritage Farmhouse at Norwalk’s Fodor Farm. We share these meeting spaces with three other environmental non-profit organizations.

May 2018
August 2018

Tree School is born

We repurposed our Tree Farm to further our mission and outreach, with special focus on inspiring and educating Norwalk’s youth on the interplay of nature and science. Tree School features an integrated science curriculum that gets kids outdoors and immersed in the world around them.

Outdoor Classroom site plan approved for Fodor Farm

Enthusiastically endorsed by the Recreation and Parks Committee of Norwalk’s Common Council, the Outdoor Classroom was designed by two of our board members and will provide a dedicated green space for Norwalk students.

February 2020

Our Team

We are 100% volunteer-led by a Board of Directors who serve two-year terms:

Jeff Scherr (President)

Tom Arbron

Allan Broadbent

Deborah Burnaman

P.E. Clark

Rene Fontain

Rob Frazier

Travis Hardy

Susan Simmons

Paul Sotnik

Jennifer Wilcox (Clerk)

Ashley Wutz (Treasurer)

Mike Yeosock

All Board Meetings are held the fourth Thursday of the month at 5:00pm and are open to the public. If you are interested in attending, please contact us at info@norwalktreealliance.com

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hal Alvord Tree Memorial, 2018

Our Collaborators

Healthy trees thrive in a community. So does the Norwalk Tree Alliance. We embrace opportunities to collaborate with like-minded organizations, companies, and institutions whose missions and values align with ours:

Arbor Day Foundation
Norwalk River Watershed Association, Inc.
Wall Street Neighborhood Association
Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics at the Sono Collection Mall

Interested in partnering with us? Email us at info@norwalktreealliance.com

Grow with us

Stay up to date with what’s going on at the Norwalk Tree Alliance