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lesliebarland

Greener LivingLearnWildLands

Garden Planning in Winter

I hear a lot during wintertime about excitement for vegetable seed catalogs coming in the mail. Did you know winter is a good time to start planning for a native plant garden as well? Whether you plan on growing from seeds or buying plants in the spring, adding a new…
lesliebarland
February 1, 2024
Climate ChangeGreener Living

The Climate Case For Long Underwear

When people think of actions they can take to cut their global warming pollution, they typically think first of big, high-tech changes like buying an electric car or installing solar panels on their home. These can certainly have a large impact, but they typically require a big expenditure up-front (even…
lesliebarland
January 2, 2024
Climate ChangeGreener Living

In Appreciation of Winter

Winter’s not as long in Kansas City as it is in, say, Minnesota, but it’s long enough for most of us. While climate change is erratically spiking some very warm days even in December, we can generally count on it being cold, unpredictably icy or snowy, and somewhat gray for…
lesliebarland
December 15, 2023
LearnTrees

Discover the Wonder of Trees

Trees provide many types of benefits including: Social Benefits: Strengthen community bonds, improve mental well-being, and create serene, peaceful, restful, and tranquil environments. Community Benefits: Serve architectural and engineering functions by providing privacy, emphasizing views, reducing glare, and directing pedestrian traffic. Enhance the quality of life for residents. Environmental Benefits:…
lesliebarland
December 11, 2023
News

2023 Year-End Letter from BTG’s Executive Director

Dear friend of our community and shared environment, Hands down, this is the most exciting time ever at Bridging The Gap. Through the ARPA and IRA acts, our federal government is taking aggressive action on climate change, while working to reduce environmental injustices. There are billions of federal grant dollars…
lesliebarland
December 1, 2023
LearnWater + Energy

Saving Water at Home

The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Reducing water use will not only help you save money on your utility bills  (both in the amount of water used, and the cost associated in heating water),…
lesliebarland
September 27, 2023
LearnWater + Energy

Saving Energy At Home

Buildings and homes generate 63% of our region’s greenhouse gas emissions. Finding ways to decrease our energy use and use renewable energy resources as much as possible is a strategic way our region can lower the impacts of climate change. Here's a few quick tips to help homeowners easily identify…
lesliebarland
September 27, 2023
Community VoicesTrees

Tree People Series: Beth Welsh

Most people are "Tree People", valuing trees in one way or another; for tree fruit or shade, for example. Heartland Tree Alliance has met many of these people. Through this series, we'll call attention to friends who have dedicated much of their lives stewarding one of earth's greatest organisms -…
lesliebarland
September 7, 2023