As we move into our cooler fall months, trees around our area will begin to start a show of fall colors. Our native forest has many oaks, hickory, sycamore, and cottonwood providing muted browns and yellows. If you are lucky, you might see a brightly colored sassafras, black gum, or red oak. In urban spaces, … Continued
Heartland Tree Alliance (HTA) is offering a fall TreeKeepers course in Shawnee Kansas! TreeKeepers is a hands-on educational course for anyone looking to increase their knowledge of trees or to become more involved in the community. These courses are great for gardeners, City employees, landscape providers, Master Gardeners, students and retirees. All sessions will be … Continued
Temperatures are rising in the Midwest and Kansas City is creeping into 90 degree days. You may be feeling sluggish at work, dreading the evening walk with Fido or more commonly, craving a cool glass of water. Well, you wouldn’t be the only thing feeling the effects of the heat, your trees are too! Watering … Continued
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an exotic beetle originating from Asia. The beetle made its way to the U.S. in 2012 likely on solid wood packing crates shipped on cargo ships or planes. The beetle feeds on the leaves of ash trees and lays eggs on the bark. After hatching, the young immature larvae bores … Continued
Honoring Fred W. Hoffower Today we are honoring a member of our ‘tribe’ who has passed on. Fred Hoffower was a longtime patron at our old Bannister Recycle Center, a volunteer and eventually a Bridging The Gap employee as a part-time fill in Recycling Center Manager. Fred’s infectious spirit and dedication to the environment … Continued
Happy National Volunteer Week! What is your volunteer story? Through our collective stories we create the narrative needed to propel others to take action. With collective action, we can create positive change. Together, we are preserving prairies, forests, and glades with KC WildLands; planting thousands of trees with Heartland Tree Alliance; removing litter from local … Continued
MDC says gardening with native plants helps butterflies and birds Kansas City, Mo. – Warm weather arrived early this spring, and so did large numbers of monarch butterflies in the Kansas City area. The first seemingly fragile orange and black butterflies spotted flitting near spring flowers in recent weeks migrated all the way from wintering grounds … Continued
If it’s on the ground in the Kansas City Metropolitan region it could end up in the Missouri River and then in the Gulf of Mexico. Litter takes on many forms – paper, aluminum, cigarette butts – everything that is improperly placed on the ground. Much of this waste finds its way into our water … Continued
Over-application of fertilizers is a source of water pollution. Use the proper amount of fertilizer to keep your lawn green and prevent algae blooms in our lakes and streams.It’s a waste of money to apply fertilizer to your lawn if it doesn’t need it. The only way to know how much fertilizer your lawn needs … Continued
BTG is hiring! If you are currently seeking part-time employment, we may have the perfect job for you! Please click on the image for more information: Employment
Work is in full swing for Heartland Tree Alliance (HTA), a program of Bridging The Gap (BTG), thanks to a partnership with Kansas City Parks and Recreation. For the last couple of months HTA has been scouting locations and planting trees in Kansas City neighborhoods, with the help of the people who live there. To … Continued
This open letter was sent to the President-elect on November 22, 2016. It is signed by Kansas City, Missouri’s Mayor Sly James and 37 other mayors across the United States. Dear President-elect Trump, As Mayors, we have taken it upon ourselves to take bold action within our cities to tackle the climate crisis head-on. … Continued
Kansas City WildLands 16th Annual Red Cedar Christmas Tree Event Saturday, December 3, 2016 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Mildale Farm – a JCPRD site – 35250 W 199th St, Edgerton, KS 66021 Kansas City WildLands, in partnership with Johnson County Park & Recreation District, is again offering the public an opportunity to … Continued
How To Give Your Tree Long Term Care Throughout the Year: Complete planting of bare-rooted trees. Take the tree if the site is subject to windy conditions. Remove suckers-shoots rising from ground level, directly from the roots. Keep newly-planted trees moist at the roots during dry periods. Spray foliage with water from time to time. When … Continued
On May 18th, several Tree Keeper volunteers were pruning trees at Staley High in North Kansas City. The school was opened 8 years ago and has a beautiful campus with many young trees. While pruning for low limbs, dead limbs and other structural issues, the volunteers noticed that many of the trees were ash. This included about … Continued
Dear 4th-, 5th- and 6th grade teachers, Our KS College and Career Ready curriculum, TREES ARE TERRIFIC is now available for your classrooms! Free in-classroom activities about the importance of trees and the role they play in a healthy community. Programming can range from 30 minutes to 60 minutes based on your classroom schedule. There are … Continued
Trees and forests reduce stormwater runoff by capturing and storing rainfall in the canopy and releasing water into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. In addition, tree roots and leaf litter create soil conditions that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the soil. This helps to replenish our groundwater supply and maintain streamflow during dry periods. The … Continued
Spring is a wonderful time to plant new trees and shrubs, but landscapers should be careful not to plant species that can harm native habitats such as woodlands. Bradford pear, for one, is an ornamental tree that has become invasive and chokes out native species in natural areas and parks. Gardeners and homeowners are urged … Continued
