Mayor Salutes Earth Week

From Mayor Finch:

Community Cleanups, Tree Plantings Draw More than 750 Volunteers

Mayor Bill Finch, City officials and hundreds of volunteers picked up thousands of pounds of trash and planted nearly 80 trees in community cleanups held in neighborhoods throughout Bridgeport during the month of April.

“The City of Bridgeport is looking much cleaner today, thanks to the partnerships we have formed with our community organizations and volunteers,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “I have said I want to make Bridgeport the cleanest, greenest City in the region, but I cannot do it alone. We need the help of our residents, community organizations and young people to reach this goal. The neighborhood cleanups and tree plantings we’ve seen throughout the month of April is a great example of what the City can accomplish.”

The month of April includes Earth Week, Earth Day and Arbor Day, observances that inspire environmental stewardship and service. Volunteers who helped the City’s cleanup efforts represent local high schools and universities, businesses, faith-based and non-profit organizations.

Mayor Finch is a life-long conservationist who participated in the first Earth Day 42 years ago. In 2010, Mayor Finch created BGreen 2020, a sustainability plan for the City of Bridgeport. The Mayor’s “greenprint” for the City includes a goal of 2,012 trees to be planted by the end of 2012. Following April’s activities, 1,480 trees have been planted since 2008–just 532 shy of the goal.

City of Bridgeport’s Cleanup and Tree Planting Efforts in April by the Numbers:
· 765 Volunteers
· 79 Trees planted
· 6,300 pounds of trash

Community Cleanup and Tree Planting Events that took place between April 16-29:
· During Earth Week (April 16-22), Mayor Finch participated in a tree planting at Upchurch Park in partnership with United Illuminating and Groundwork Bridgeport. With the help of nearly 20 volunteers, the event brought nine new trees to the East End park.
· On Earth Day, April 22, Mayor Finch and the Downtown Special Services District (DSSD) organized a downtown neighborhood cleanup. Approximately 25 volunteers, including downtown residents and businesses picked up 1,300 pounds of trash on the rainy Sunday morning.
· On Thursday, April 26, City officials joined more than 20 students from St. Vincent’s College in planting a tree at Seaside Park.
· To celebrate Arbor Day, Friday April 27, Mayor Finch, Groundwork Bridgeport, BuildOn members and more than 30 Bassick High School students planted 11 trees on the high school’s campus. Additionally, Rachel Holmes from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection’s Forestry Division acknowledged the City of Bridgeport as a “Tree City USA” for the fourth consecutive year.
· On Saturday, April 28, Mayor Finch and more than 200 volunteers including students, parents, City and Board of Education personnel helped clean the grounds of Curiale School. This event kicked off the Park City Schools & Community Alliance program, a project initiated by the City of Bridgeport to engage the entire neighborhood, including business owners in the keeping the neighborhood clean and safe.

Groundwork Bridgeport’s annual Park City Sweep event, a citywide cleanup with 150 volunteers, coincided with the cleanup at Curiale School. The organization provided seven trees that were planted on Wood Avenue and food for everyone who was involved in Saturday’s event.

The Green Village Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable living, also constructed a garden on the grounds of Curiale School on Saturday.

· Also, on Saturday, April 28, Mayor Finch planted trees at St. Mary’s by the Sea with students from Black Rock School. More than 20 volunteers helped plant five trees and 16 shrubs at the waterfront park.
· On Sunday, April 29, more than 50 volunteers representing Groundwork Bridgeport, BuildOn and Sacred Heart University students helped plant a tree at the Hallett Street Garden and clean the surrounding neighborhood.
· More than 200 volunteers helped Groundwork Bridgeport and Mayor Finch plant 24 trees, 4 shrubs at Svihra Park, located in the North End on Saturday and Sunday. The volunteers also participated in a cleanup of the park, picking up over 2,000 pounds of trash.
· Also on Sunday, Mayor Finch joined nearly 100 volunteers cleaned the 1,200 linear foot bank of the Pequonnock River in Beardsley Park. The volunteers also cleaned, weeded and mulched eight planting beds in the park. The Beardsley Park cleanup generated 3,000 pounds of trash.

“I appreciate the efforts of everyone who has donated their time and talent to help make our City cleaner,” said Mayor Finch.

Organizations that are planning a neighborhood clean in the month of May are asked to send information to mayorfinch@bridgeportct.gov.

To learn more about the City of Bridgeport’s Adopt-A-Tree program to help Bridgeport reach its goal of 2,012 trees planted by 2012, go to www.bridgeportct.gov/ParksRecreation/Pages/AdoptATree.aspx.