ON EARTH Talks HARTFORD
LET’S REVISIT THE ON EARTH TALKS SERIES — DISCUSSING SUSTAINABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND COMMUNITY.
For Earth Day 2025, advocates, activists and eager environmentalists descended upon1429 Park Street to celebrate and pay their respects to Mother Nature for On Earth Hartford’s activation. An integral core of On Earth Hartford, the Earth Talks series brought together community leaders dedicated to environmental work. Among them were Herb Virgo, Executive Director of Keney Park Sustainability, which helps families learn how to be self-sufficient and sustainable, while preserving the historic park. Virgo was joined by Yasemin Urgulu, founder of Reboot Eco, which promotes low-waste living as well as Alexander Williams, owner and operator of Blue Earth Compost and Bridget O’Brien, who is the COO of CLYNK, an innovative recycling service.
While it can be easy to fall into a state of hopelessness when it comes to environmental issues, Earth Talks delivers a much-needed helping of hope and realistic ways for even the average concerned citizen to get involved.
Continue scrolling to watch the Earth Talks series below.
Herb Virgo is the founder and executive director of the Keney Park Sustainability Project (KPSP) in Hartford, Connecticut. He is a respected environmental leader, educator and community advocate who has played a key role in promoting sustainability, urban agriculture and youth development in the city. Through KPSP, which operates out of Keney Park, one of the largest public parks in New England, Herb has helped transform underutilized green space into a vibrant hub for hands-on learning, food justice, renewable energy education, and workforce training. The project engages residents —especially young people — in farming, beekeeping, composting, construction, and environmental stewardship. Herb is widely admired for his commitment to empowering communities of color, building resilience, and creating opportunities through sustainability.
Alexander Williams is a dedicated environmentalist and one of the owners and operators of Blue Earth Compost. Starting from a home-based operation to now having a statewide reach, Blue Earth Compost which has diverted nearly 60 million pounds of food scraps and waste from landfills since the organization’s founding (that’s equivalent to over16,000 adult beluga whales). Alexander is known for his passion for sustainability, community engagement and innovation in the waste management practices.
Bridget O’Brien is the Chief Operating Offier of CLYNK, a technology-enabled bottle redemption company that strives to make change easy. Initially founded in 2006, CLYNK has pioneered a bag drop system inspired by the efficacy of the bottle bill, legislation that charges consumers of single-use container a nominal fee that is returned once the customer cashes in the bottle. (Think the can recycling machines at grocery stores). Bridget’s background is in making consumer products more accessible and using technology as a means to tap into sustainability.
Yasemin Ugurlu is the founder and owner of Reboot Eco, a sustainability-focused business based in Connecticut that helps individuals and communities reduce their environmental impact through refill stations, zero-waste products, education and workshops. Reboot Eco operates with the belief that sustainable living should be simple, accessible and empowering — offering everything from refillable household goods to plastic-free alternatives and community cleanups. Yasemin is a passionate environmental advocate and entrepreneur who blends climate-conscious values with practical solutions for everyday life. She’s known for making sustainability feel inviting, local and doable, rather than overwhelming or guilt-driven.