Norwalk named Tree City USA for a fifteenth consecutive year

Norwalk, Connecticut - For the fifteenth consecutive year, the City of Norwalk was named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its effective urban forest management. Norwalk also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for the thirteenth consecutive year for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care.

“Trees are real assets to our community. They are an essential part of what makes Norwalk such a livable and beautiful city,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “We’re very proud of the fact that we plant trees every year and have now been named a Tree City USA community for 15 years.”

Norwalk achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree
board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand,” said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement of public education.”

Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat.

In celebration of Arbor Day, Mayor Rilling, local officials and hundreds of Norwalk students will be planting three trees at Wolfpit Elementary School in Norwalk on Friday, April 26, at 1:30 p.m. A white oak tree, a honey crisp apple tree, and a macoun apple tree will be planted during the special ceremony with the assistance of Almstead Tree and Shrub. DoubleTree by Hilton sponsored an Arbor Day poster contest at the school, with winners and their families receiving a free stay at the hotel. Additionally, DoubleTree provided 400 paper bags that will hold a red pine seedling plug that will be given to each student to plant. The Arbor Day event is a partnership between the City of Norwalk, Norwalk Public Schools, Norwalk Tree Advisory Committee, and Norwalk Tree Alliance.

This event is free and open to the public.