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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Interested in partnering with us? Email us at info@norwalktreealliance.com
Our Sponsors
The NTA has received financial support from the following funders in the past two years:
The Care of Trees
Courville Services
Fairfield County Bank
Granoff Architects
Hutchinson Tree Care Specialists
Odd Job Landscaping
Westport Rotary Club
Grow with us
Stay up to date with what’s going on at the Norwalk Tree Alliance