Trees
Planting Guide
It’s finally tree planting season! We must continue to plant trees in our landscapes for the myriad of benefits they provide to the entire land community. While trees are beautiful, they aren’t just decorations – they benefit human health. Kansas City may face record-high heats in years to come. We must plant trees today so … Continued
Considerations for Equitable Canopy Distribution
By Joe Wheelock, Program Manager, Heartland Tree Alliance The City of Fountains covers a whopping 319 square miles, which puts KCMO in the top 25 largest cities by land area in the country. (Not to mention, we also invest time in other areas of the greater region including Liberty, Prairie Village, KCK, Lee’s Summit, Belton … Continued
Proposed KCMO Tree Preservation Ordinance
The KCMO Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee will consider a proposed Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance to protect and preserve Kansas City’s tree canopy at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, February 8, in the City Council Chambers, Floor 26. Testimony can be provided virtually or in-person at the meetings, or emails can be sent to City … Continued
Reflections on summer’s heat
Climate scientists predict an increase in the number of extreme heat days for the KC metro area in the coming years, and this summer seemed to align with that forecast. Two of our programs, Heartland Tree Alliance and the KCMO Recycling Drop-off Centers, take an informal measure of its impact on their work over this past … Continued
Saving Trees During Construction
Land is constantly undergoing development throughout the Kansas City area. Apartments are built on formerly “vacant” lots, farmland is turned into suburbia, ranch-style homes turn into mansions, garages are added, driveways are repaved, irrigation is installed and patios double in size. Whatever the reason for construction, let’s observe what is on our land first to … Continued
Mimosa Webworm in Kansas City
Have you noticed trees with brown leaves and what looks like spider webbing all over them? The culprit is most likely the mimosa webworm (Homadaula anisocentra)! These caterpillars are occasional pests of the mimosa tree and several varieties of honey locust. Life Cycle: This pest produces two overlapping generations per year. The first generation typically … Continued
Japanese Beetles in Kansas City
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
Tree People: 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 – trees. Beth Welsh is a … Continued
Tree People: Bridget Tolle
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 Medicine
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
Tools for pruning small trees
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
Top 5 Reasons to be an Arborist
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
Join BTG as an AmeriCorps VISTA!
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
Vote for BTG with Target Circle!
We are honored and excited to announce that Bridging The Gap has been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have a chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us! Now through June 30, vote for us through the Target Circle program to help … Continued
When Green Means Curbside Pickup: Supporting Kan
By Ben Carpenter, HTA Program Associate My little brother is getting married in July. I know, poor timing. If only he had considered the possibility of a global pandemic upsetting his years-long engagement. However, the show must go on, albeit from a distance. This is a situation in which a thoughtful gift from … Continued
COMPOSTING FOR OUR FUTURE
By Ami Freeberg I grew up composting in a big pile at the back of our large backyard garden – piling food scraps and grass clippings together to break down and nourish the food and flowers we grew. Separating food scraps to compost has always been the norm for me, so throughout my adult life, … Continued
Earth week series – 5
The best time to plant a tree is now. The Arbor Day Foundation provides resources to individuals who are interested in doing so, including where to find free or low cost trees in your area and tips about how to plant your tree so it thrive. For those interested in fruit trees are another excellent … Continued
Earth week series – 4
By John Fish, Litter Abatement Program Coordinator and Recycling Center Manager There’s no getting around the fact that our lives have been upended by this pandemic. We had forgotten just how much havoc something unseeable with the naked eye can cause. Although much of our ordinary life has been suspended by the need … Continued