Planting the Seeds for a Greener, More Beautiful Norwalk
City of Norwalk and Keep America Beautiful® Celebrate Launch of New Workforce Training and Tree-Planting Program
NORWALK, CT, May 29, 2025 — With shovels in hand and native trees ready for planting, local leaders, community members, and partners gathered at Cranbury Park today to celebrate the official launch of Norwalk’s Green Workforce Program, a collaborative initiative designed to beautify the city while providing paid job training in urban forestry and landscaping.
Through a partnership between the City of Norwalk, Keep America Beautiful®, and Open Doors, local residents, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, will gain hands-on experience and environmental education through an 8-week paid training course. Over the next 18 months, program participants will plant and care for up to 200 native trees across Norwalk, contributing to the city’s climate resilience and long-term beautification goals.
Funding for the Green Workforce Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through a Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Equity Grant. The program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and supported by the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Norwalk is thrilled to announce the launch of our Green Workforce Program in partnership with Keep America Beautiful,” said Mayor Harry Rilling. “This exciting new environmental and workforce development initiative aims to further expand our urban tree canopy while creating pathways to local green job opportunities with a particular focus on helping underserved communities gain hands-on job training. This initiative was made possible thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and furthers my Administration’s goal of becoming the Greenest City in Connecticut.”
“At Keep America Beautiful, we believe that everyone deserves to live in a clean, green, and beautiful place—and that beauty can be a powerful force for change,” said Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, which is based in nearby Stamford. “We’re thrilled to partner with the City of Norwalk to help grow a more vibrant and connected community, one tree and one green job trainee at a time.”
“Urban trees don’t just make our cities more beautiful; they also make them more livable by reducing summertime temperatures, mitigating air pollution, managing stormwater, and improving residents’ health outcomes,” said Dr. Danica Doroski, Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator, Connecticut DEEP. “DEEP’s Urban Forestry Program is proud to support initiatives like Norwalk’s Green Workforce Program, that bolster the benefits of trees while also offering workforce training opportunities.”
The launch event, held at the Pavilion at Cranbury Park, included a ceremonial tree planting alongside Green Workforce trainees and local partners, including Open Doors, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in the Norwalk area. Expert arborists from Keep America Beautiful and its affiliate Keep Indianapolis Beautiful helped to lead the tree-focused sessions.
“We are delighted to be working with Keep America Beautiful and the City of Norwalk as they launch this Green Workforce Training Pilot Program and look forward to ensuring that the participants receive financial literacy services and connections to employment opportunities upon graduation,” said Trajan Buxton, Director of Economic Opportunity Hub with Open Doors. “Preparing people for living wage jobs and careers is a key ingredient towards achieving the goal of upward mobility and housing stability.”
About Keep America Beautiful®:
Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of 700 Keep America Beautiful® affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
About Open Doors:
Open Doors supports low- to moderate-income households in the greater Norwalk area as they work towards building financial and housing stability and upward mobility. Through our Economic Opportunity Hub, we help clients connect with income supports, financial literacy and employment opportunities.