Volunteers show love to local ecosystem for Earth Week. Apr 27, 2026 | Posted in During Earth Week, residents and local volunteers got outside to clean up litter, plant trees and foster environmental awareness in the Kansas City region. Two brand new regional landmarks, the Rock Island Bridge in the West Bottoms, and Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, celebrated with eco-themed events for environmental and cycling advocates, respectively. At the Rock Island Bridge, the Kansas and Missouri chapters of Sierra Club hosted members and the general public to celebrate Earth Day with live music in the upper deck event space. A Rock Island Bridge poster done in the style of classic national parks artwork, seen above, was gifted to a representative for the Rock Island Bridge, with a limited run of prints given to event donors. Photo credit: Kathy West Over at Morton Amphitheater, local cyclists were invited to ride the Missouri Riverfront Trail to a sneak preview party in the amphitheater's parking lot. Venue operators were familiar with the popularity of trail cycling in the area and built dozens of bike racks to receive visitors arriving from the trail. Venue operators hope that a significant number of music-loving cyclists use the trail to get to concerts this summer and beyond, reducing parking lot congestion and vehicle emissions. "We loved seeing the cycling community turn out for our Pedal to the Party event," says Tim Burris, general manager at Morton Amphitheater. "Kansas City's regional trail network is a real asset, and being connected to it allows us to offer fans another fun and accessible way to experience our venue." MARC staff joined several local environmental organizations for an Earth Day Fair at UMKC. Program staff representing the Air Quality, Water Quality, KC Foodwise and WAY TO GO initiatives spoke with students about their ideas for a cleaner community, and shared ways to get involved in protecting their local environment. Popular public messages include keeping its local waterways free from contaminants by keeping litter and chemicals off of the ground; cutting automobile emissions by ride-sharing and cycling when possible; planning ahead to cut down on food waste; and keeping its flow of recyclable materials free from disqualifying contamination by recycling better. MARC staff representing the organization's Green Team showed up toward the end of the week to clean up trash near the Rosedale Arch in Kansas City, Kansas. In addition to this cleanup, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, hosted more than a dozen area volunteer cleanups. During the month, Bridging The Gap's WildLands program hosted seven invasive species work days, where volunteers worked alongside restoration experts to remove harmful invasive plants like bush honeysuckle from various locations around the city. And BTG's Heartland Tree Alliance initiative hosted 13 tree planting events (including a collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation along Brush Creek). Arbor Day saw many tree plantings around the metropolitan area. Parkville, an Arbor Day Foundation-recognized "Tree City", hosted an event where city staff, volunteers and visiting representatives from the Missouri Department of Conservation dug in the dirt to provide a dozen trail-shading trees for Platte Landing Park. Re.Use.Full coordinated another UnDumpster Day event up north across the street from City Hall for the City of North Kansas City. Public Works staff partnered with Iron Mountain and local organizations like PCs for People, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Flourish Furniture Bank to offer a plethora of donation, reuse and recycling options for hard-to-recycle items that would otherwise make their way to a landfill. The event offered tire donation and paper shredding as well. By the end of the day, the group served over 260 cars. "Not only were 7,000 pounds of electronics, 2,300 pounds of paper, and 37 tires saved from the landfill," says Sarah Sheckells, North Kansas City public works administrator, "but over 2,000 pounds of reusable goods were donated to local charities. Our community showed up in a big way!" The Greater Kansas City Climate Council set up its 2nd annual Climate Fair at the City Market for Earth Month. The organization offers free educational programming to inspire community action and meaningful change. "We chatted with folks about policy that affects resources, sustainable energy choices, improving energy efficiency, healthy foods, and preserving natural lands for future generations," said Katy White, partner liaison for the organization. "Platte Land Trust gave away native shrubs to help create sustainable landscapes. We had a great session from Eco Elvis. Overall, it was a great day to be out and enjoying fresh air and sunshine next to the Missouri River!" Earth Week concluded with a Spring Fling family event at the Swope Park grandstand, organized by the Parks and Recreation Department for Kansas City, Missouri, and the Lakeside Nature Center. The event featured craft activities for kids, live entertainment from Richard Renner (known for his environmentally-focused circus performance), and a Green Carpet Fashion Show with 12 local designers showing off their sustainable, upcycled and thrifted fashion. Event Emcee Ciara Barton (@thrift_the_runway on IG) "What began as a simple "trash-ion show" quickly blossomed into an annual event," says Toni Zibert, public information officer at Kansas City Parks and Recreation. Outfits ranged from thrifted sets from the 1970s, to upcycled blankets turned into pants and soccer jerseys repurposed into statement pieces. Said Zibert, "We're happy to bring together people of all ages to celebrate sustainability, creativity and community."

BBBSA kicks off 6th Annual Youth Safety & Well-Being Summit. April 10, 2026 This year's opening session highlighted key insights on how to strengthen connections for young people amid rising loneliness and increasing mental health challenges Renowned pediatrician, author, and public health leader Dr. Nadine Burke Harris kicked off Big Brothers Big Sisters' 6th Annual Youth Safety and Well-Being Summit to share a powerful message on the lasting impact of childhood adversity and the critical role of safe, stable relationships. Drawing on research and real-world experience, Dr. Burke Harris emphasized how positive connections with caring adults can buffer the effects of toxic stress and support lifelong health and well-being for youth. BBBSA President and CEO Artis Stevens joined Dr. Burke Harris for a fireside chat that explored how mentoring programs and community-based organizations can help create environments where young people feel safe and supported. The session underscored the evolving challenges young people face today, including increased loneliness, the impact of technology, and growing mental health concerns - and reinforced the need for intentional, evidence-based approaches that center youth voice and strengthen protective factors across communities. Watch the full session to explore the insights and takeaways shaping this work.

Lynne Carroll is the 2nd recipient of the jessie Binford advocate for youth award. Announced earlier this month by the marshalltown federation of women's clubs in collaboration with marshalltown chamber of commerce and the historical society of marshall county, lynne Carroll is the 2nd recipient of the jessie Binford advocate for youth award. Carroll spent the last nearly two decades working for Heart of Iowa Big Brothers Big Sisters and working with youth. As the director, many times Carroll would be doing administration work and making sure all the I's are dotted and T's are crossed but she would always make time for youth. Carroll will receive her award officially tonight with a dinner at the Binford House. Carroll retired from Big Brothers Big Sisters at the end of July last year and has since enjoyed spending more time at home and caring for her family.