A curated volunteer experience 🌿

Photo of Parks employees and KCtoday team

KCtoday + KC Parks = The Honeysuckle Destroyers. | Photo by KCtoday

It’s hiding in plain sight. It’s the bane of native plants. It smells good, but it behaves bad.

It’s called honeysuckle.

This invasive plant is a big problem in Kansas City, choking out local flora + overtaking pathways. Basically, it cuts off access for both plants and humans — a lose-lose situation.

Here’s the current state of parks, a look inside our volunteer experience, and how you can get involved.

🌿 Honey, we’ve got a problem

Honeysuckle spreads quickly for a couple reasons. The seeds scatter through birds, and the shrubs grow fast + dense.

There are 221 parks in KCMO alone — most (if not all) have this problem. However, there just aren’t enough workers to keep up with the horde of honeysuckle.

“We’re one of the largest land owners in the City of Kansas City, so how we manage our land is important,” environmental manager Stephen Van Rhein said.

🌿 The volunteer experience

KC_Honeysuckle demo — Stephen shows the honeysuckle root collar (as the invasive plant poses in the background).

To help, KCMO Parks Resident engagement officer Kelly Jander created a program that empowers volunteers. One way is through the Parks Ambassadors program, which provides special training, exclusive events, and a free T-shirt. Another is through curated individual + group experiences. That’s where we came in.

KCtoday met up with Stephen and Kelly at Penn Valley Park, where a path was totally overrun. The goal: clear the hill of honeysuckle.

Our team worked hand-in-hand with Parks staff as we hacked, hauled, and treated with chemicals (focused doses of tordon on the stumps’ cambrium) so the plants don’t regrow.

“If we clear this all out and then ignore it for three or four years, it’ll be right back,” Stephen said.

This was just phase one of a five-year process.

🌿 They need your help

Volunteering is easy — all you need to do is find half a day and send an email to KCMO Parks.

If you want to volunteer monthly, consider becoming an ambassador.

Finally, you can register to participate in The Great City Cleanup 2.0, a city-wide beautification event on Sat., Oct. 29.

EVENTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Today

Girls Who Code - Fall Session | Tue., Oct. 4 | 5-6:30 p.m. | 400 E Mechanic St, Harrisonville | Free | This program is for sixth to twelfth grade girls. 💻
The Toadies | Tue., Oct. 4 | 8 p.m. | Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester St, Kansas City | $25 | This American rock band, know for (Guitar Hero) classics like “Possum Kingdom,” is coming to the saloon. 🎸

Wednesday, October 5

Big Wild | Wed., Oct. 5 | 8 p.m. | Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, 1228 Main St, Kansas City | $48+ | This American electronic producer + composer is known for switching between multiple instruments. 🎹
Laugh Lab: Comedy Open Mic | Wed., Oct. 5 | 8 p.m. | The Rino, 314 Armour Rd, North Kansas City | $0+ | One of the oldest-running weekly comedy open mic nights in KC.

Thursday, October 6

Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts | Thu., Oct. 6 - Sun., Oct. 30 | 12-5 p.m. | KCAI Gallery, 4415 Warwick Blvd., Kansas City, MO | Free, RSVP | Featuring newly commissioned scores, performances, videos, sculptures and sound by Indigenous and other artists. 🎨

Sunday, October 23

KC Crew Holiday Leagues sign-up deadline | Sun., Oct. 23 | Varies by league, 1800 Genessee St, Suite #326, Kansas City | Stay active through the winter months playing futsal, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, and more with KC Crew.*

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

survey

City Showdown: KC vs Austin

Clearly, we have the better skyline. | Photos via KCtoday + ATXtoday

Austin and Kansas City have quite a few things in common. Both have similar-sized metropolitan populations and are known for food, music, sports — and excellent local newsletters, such as yours truly.

Now, we’re pitting bats against fountains + crowns against hearts. It’s a City Showdown in the making, but first we need your help. Which four categories should we compare? Let us know.

Barbecue
Drinks
Sports
Murals
Music
Outdoors
Weirdness
Fill in the blank

TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL

NEWS NOTES

Weather

83º | Partly cloudy | 1% chance of rain

Show

Smithville Lake is the filming site for season two of “Gutted.” The DIY renovation series pits three teams in a competition to turn a van, an RV, and a school bus into a tiny, livable home. Even better? Fans can show up, watch, and even camp today-Sun., Oct. 9 during the filming festival. (FOX4)

Try This

Bienvenue. Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room — 1830 Walnut St., KCMO — will host it’s annual theme week (Fri., Oct. 7-Sun., Oct. 16), this year choosing “Moulin Rouge.” The transformation includes 1900 Paris decor, French food, drink, vocalists, and dancers. Reservations start at $10. 🇫🇷

Concert

Pop star Ed Sheeran is coming to Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs announced. “The Mathematics Tour” is scheduled for Sat., Aug. 5, 2023 — one of 21 stops in North America. Tickets go on sale on Fri., Oct. 14. 🏟 (FOX4)

Civic

Officials are looking for public input on the East-West Transit Study, which seeks to evaluate a high-capacity public transportation line west to KU Health + east to the Truman Sports Complex. Join the project team in person today, Thurs., Oct. 6, or Tues., Oct. 11.

Job

Speaking of transit, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority is hiring. Jobs include mechanics, bus drivers, maintenance workers, and management roles. New hires may receive up to a $2,000 sign-on incentive. 💵

Legacy

The Midland Theatre is turning 95 this month. This KC entertainment staple was the third-largest theater in the country when it opened in 1927. Follow along on social media for Midland Mondays, where staff will share facts + stories about its history.

Trending

KC-based AMC Theatres just found its own way onto the big screen — or whatever screen you use for Saturday Night Live. The comedy sketch show released a parody of the company’s recent Nicole Kidman ad. This time, the “magic” of the movies hits a little more on the nose. 🍿

State

The center of the US’s population is a 600-person town in Missouri. The US Census + National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculate the geographic spot in the center of where everyone in the country is living. After trending southwest, the 2020 Census resulted in Hartville, Missouri. Of course, we’re still the Heart of America. 📍 (KXAN)

Shop

Pumpkin spice lattes aren’t the only thing heating up this fall. Shop the hottest local fashion in our online retails store, all while supporting KCtoday. We’re talking cozy sweatshirts, comfortable caps, and fashionable bags. Snag your favorite KC gear now.

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

SHOP

6 ways to up your kitchen game

Shop the best of the best (read: highly rated, top-selling items) to cook up some kitchen magic.*

Mix, knead, and shape pasta dough | Philips Viva Pasta Maker, $179.95+
Skip the oven + go Smart Oven | Breville Mini Smart Oven, $159.95+
Keep champagne fresh | Champagne bottle stopper, $10
Craft cold brew at home | Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $27.99
Cut out 3D turkey cookies | 3D Turkey Cookie Cutter Set, $12.95
Open wine with ease | Electric Wine Opener, $29.04

THE WRAP

Today’s edition was written by Travis.

Editor’s pick: I visited the Conductor’s Club over the weekend — this year’s Halloween pop-up theme is Creature Double Feature. That’s right, expect monster movie-themed drinks. I had The Invisible Man, which was a deliciously balanced combination of mezcal, pamplemousse, pineapple liqueur, and ginger. Bonus points for the sunglasses + edible candy bones. 🕶

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Take me to the theater.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Bella Rainey, Travis Meier, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Amanda Munsey | Advertise with us.

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