Urban Trees are Dying: Is Climate Change the Culprit?

A mound of mulch surrounds a tree planted in a road partision. Parking blocks and a parked car as well as traffic can be seen in the background. There is a sign with the text, "This tree was planted throuh The Crossroads Street Tree initiative" and includes a QR code to learn more.

The approach of fall in our region should mean a picturesque foliage display is also on the way, but more and more Kansas City trees are dying. While it’s uncertain what that could mean for urban foliage photo shoots, fewer urban trees will mean a hotter city if the issue isn’t addressed.  “We are anecdotally…

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Sheep, Native Plants and Fire Tested as Methods for Managing Invasive Honeysuckle Next to the Blue River

A photo of a sheep in the woods. The sheep is in the center of the photo, looking to the right. It is white with brown spots. There is a white sheep a few feet behind it. The foreground is bare and covered in dead leaves. The background is green and leafy.

Editor’s Note: Additional information was added into this article to identify the species of bush honeysuckle that impacts Missouri. For information on identifying invasive honeysuckle or other invasive plants, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Website. Something is suffocating Missouri’s forest floors.   It’s leafy, it’s dense, it’s pervasive, and it can grow so thick that…

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Kansas City Exceeds Need for Electricians as Green Energy Grows

A woman wearing a dark red shirt stands in front of gray metal bars. The woman is wearing glasses, a bright yellow utility vest and a white hard hat.

Naomi Alexander spent two years studying accounting at Missouri Southern State University before deciding it was not the right path for her. When her father, a lifelong sprinkler fitter, suggested she consider a trade career, he “lit a fire” in her, she said.  After doing some research, Alexander enrolled in the Missouri Apprentice Ready Program,…

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