It’s that time of year again – adult Japanese beetles (Papillia japonica) have emerged! In short time, you’ll likely notice significant feeding damage from these pesky beetles. We field a lot of concerns about the Japanese beetle each year, but oftentimes they are not detrimental to plants. Your plants will likely survive damage Japanese beetles … Continued
Meet a member of our Green Business Network! Redbud Refillery is Kansas City’s mobile source for refillable and sustainable household cleaning products, with a mission to reduce single-use plastic by refilling already existing containers with sustainable plant-based cleaners. Currently, Redbud Refillery dispenses laundry detergent, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaner from its mobile van using a … Continued
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 – trees. Beth Welsh is a … Continued
The field of arboriculture includes many career pathways, from nursery management to urban forestry to tree climbing. Heartland Tree Alliance is fortunate to have many friends (“Tree People”) in the field. We recently chatted with one of our friends, Bridget Tolle, Urban Forestry Specialist for Prairie Village, Kansas about her experiences and insight in the … Continued
Trees are beneficial in so many ways, including improving human health. Trees can filter the air we breathe, reduce heat-related illness, provide us with nutritious food, speed up the recovery process, improve immune systems and encourage us to go outside and engage in recreational activities or socialize with neighbors. In addition to all of those … Continued
On April 7, Bridging The Gap celebrated our 30th anniversary while drawing attention to the significant need for energy justice in our community. Thank you to the hundreds of people who attended and/or donated online to our silent auction – with your help we raised critical funds to support our programs, which work to make … Continued
There are a variety of tools that can be used for pruning, from hand pruners to chainsaws. We’ll share which tools Heartland Tree Alliance uses while pruning young trees in Kansas City. A word to the wise: Pruning is intentional wounding for a specific purpose. Improper pruning can severely damage, stress or even kill trees. … Continued
Hey Kansas City. It’s Jacob here, the coordinator for Kansas City WildLands’ Seed Team. We’ve spent the last year out in the field searching for and collecting seed, or in the barn cleaning and sorting our harvest. Finally, the seed has found its destination – public lands undergoing restoration. Places in our city that are … Continued
We recently chatted with Andy Savastino, Chief Environmental Officer for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, to learn more about what the city is currently working on and its goal for a resilient future. Savastino has worked for the city for 28 years and has been the Chief Environmental Officer for about 2 1/2 years. … Continued
In celebration of Black History Month, we’re reading the works of leading Black authors bringing environmental justice issues to the forefront for conversation and action through their personal stories. Check out this list of recommended reading. We encourage you to purchase these books through independent Black-owned bookstores like Bliss Books and Wine or borrow from … Continued
According to Kansas City area arborists Last week, the Heartland Tree Alliance team attended the 66th annual Shade Tree Conference hosted by the Kansas Arborists Association. This event brings together tree care professionals, arborists, foresters and friends from Kansas and surrounding states to catch up and learn. We asked some Kansas Certified Arborists why they … Continued
Meet Sami Aaron, founder of The Resilient Activist. We recently talked with Sami Aaron to learn more about the background and mission of the non-profit and how she measures success within the organization. The Resilient Activist is a non-profit organization founded by Sami Aaron that aims to build hope and resilience in response to the impact … Continued
Meet a Green Business Network member company – Ripple Glass. We chatted with Morgan Henderson, the Metro Program Manager, to learn more about how Ripple has impacted Kansas City and its goals for expansion. Founded in 2009, Ripple Glass is Kansas City’s glass recycling company. All the glass collected for recycling in the KC metro area makes its way to Ripple’s … Continued
Bayer is a well-known, life science company with more than 150 years in health care and agriculture. Bayer’s research and products for agriculture help provide a reliable supply of food, feed, and plant-based raw materials to serve a growing population around the world. Sustainability is one of Bayer’s key operational priorities, with the goal of being “carbon neutral” … Continued
As the oldest public institution of higher learning in Kansas City, MCC comprises five campuses on the Missouri side of the metro area and offers 125 associate degree and certification programs. With 47 major buildings to operate, MCC made significant financial investments over the last year to update their building systems – saving energy and … Continued
KC Water was awarded the Innovation Award presented by the Kansas City Industrial Council. The award honors a business using innovative solutions for sustainability in our Kansas City community. The award specifically recognized the innovative actions of one particular KC Water employee, Amir Kenner, whose creative thinking and willingness to go beyond normal job responsibilities, helped KC Water … Continued
A Year-End Letter From BTG’s Executive Director Friends, People often ask us “Is there hope?” Climate change, habitat destruction, threatened species, plastic-filled oceans, and the other environmental problems we’re up against are daunting. Our answer is yes, there is hope—and a lot of it. Awareness and acceptance of climate change’s reality are at new heights. Governments and the … Continued
Meet a member of the Green Business Network, Carrie Luce. We recently chatted with Carrie to learn more about her business, passions towards advocacy and volunteering, and the green initiatives she is taking at home. Luce is an independent contractor, working as the lead Solar Designer for Solar Design Studio, an EPC- Engineering, Procurement, Consulting, and … Continued
Meet Karen Ramsey, co-founder of Food Cycle KC. We sat down with Karen in September to talk about her journey to launch a curbside compost collection business alongside her husband with a focus on supporting community and local agriculture. In 2019, Karen Ramsey was looking for a change after 20 years in a corporate career. “I had an … Continued
Our Heartland Tree Alliance program is partnering with UMKC to hire an AmeriCorps Social Justice and Community Engagement VISTA this fall. Could it be you? This position will serve an important role in setting HTA’s focus areas for future tree planting efforts. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and degree verification to shannon.r.wheeler@umkc.edu. Additional … Continued
