Norwalk-Wilton Tree Festival May 16 at Cranbury Park
From a press release:
The Norwalk-Wilton Tree Festival May 16 (Saturday) at Cranbury Park offers families free admission with refreshments and activities such as a scavenger hunt, face-painting, tree-care demonstrations and the popular tree rope-climb for kids.
The Sierra Club, the American Chestnut Foundation and the Tree Wardens of Connecticut are among the exhibitors. So are Wilton’s Woodcock Nature Center and Ambler Farm, the Greenwich Audubon Center, the New Canaan Nature Center, the Norwalk River Watershed Association and the Norwalk River Valley Trail.
Norwalk’s selection—for the fifth consecutive year–as Tree City USA for urban forest improvement and for the Growth Award of the U.S. Arbor Day Foundation is to be recognized in proclamations by Connecticut Governor Jody Rell and Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia.
The mayor and First Selectman William Brennan of Wilton are also to honor two individuals, Nick Overall as Norwalk’s first Tree Advocate of the Year and Pat Sesto as Wiiton’s Tree Steward of the Year.
The proceedings also feature a ceremonial planting of what is being called the Pepperidge “Elvis Presley Tree,” a 10-foot high weeping black gum that was purchased by NEON in recognition of the Pepperidge Farm employee volunteers who repainted the interior of the community service’s location in South Norwalk.
As a company, Pepperidge Farm was named as the pepperidge trees that grew on the Fairfield estate of the founder of the company, Margaret Rudkin. Many of the trees still embellish the property today. Elvis Presley (1935-1977) meanwhile was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and a variety of the tree is known as the black tupelo.
As part of an objective of promoting trees and urban forestry, a number of demonstrations have been arranged showcasing tree care, pruning and planting.
Webster Financial Advisors is among the donors supporting the festival with ShopRite, Stop & Shop, DoubleTree Hotel, Wilton’s Village Market, Carlaluzzi’s, East Coast Signs and the Norwalk Exchange Club.
The Town of Wilton and the Wilton Garden Club have joined the city of Norwalk and the Norwalk Tree Alliance in sponsoring the third year of the annual festival,
Cranbury Park, north of the Merritt Parkway off Grumman Avenue near Route 7 covers 190 wooded acres with eight trails for hikers and bikers, a sculpture golf course and a covered pavilion where no-cost, picnic-style food and drink is to be made dispensed by volunteers representing the Norwalk Exchange Club.
Ample parking is available on-site and door prizes are to be distributed at regular intervals over the course of the festival, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Why promote the vitality of trees?
Trees enhance a community with their foliage and stateliness. They provide shade. They filter impurities from the air. They help prevent soil erosion and flooding. They yield fruit and provide sustenance for birds and wildlife. They define property lines. They serve as
Additional information about the festival is available by calling the City of Norwalk Customer Service Center at (203) 854-3200 or via e-mail at customerservice@norwalkct.org
