Photo by Bruce Dupree, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
April General Meeting—Jesse Johnson of Missouri Master Naturalists
Date: Tues., April 28
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: The Granfalloon, 608 Ward Parkway, KCMO 64112
Our April 28 speaker will be Jesse L. Johnson, president of the Osage Trails (local, KC) chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists. Mr. Johnson will speak about the Master Naturalist program and how it dovetails with the Thomas Hart Benton Group of the Sierra Club.
PLEASE NOTE:Parking is availablein the Time Building parking garage, which is free, open 24/7, and only half a block to the northeast at 4739 Pennsylvania.
Thanks to Tessa Poolman of Missouri River Bird Observatory for presenting a program on plastics and their impacts at our March meeting! Please see the article later in this same Newsletter by former Missouri State Rep. Ingrid Burnett about a bill in the Missouri Legislature to repeal a ban on plastic bags in Missouri!
Please donate to the Thomas Hart Benton Group—Thanks!
You can probably tell from this Newsletter that we are getting a lot more active in 2026. We welcome all the new friends and allies we have been meeting and speaking with at our recent in-person meetings. We also welcome any donations you can spare to help with all our new activities…thanks so much! Every little bit helps!
You can also send us a check made out to “Sierra Club” if that is more convenient. Our address is
Sierra Club
P.O. Box 32727
Kansas City, MO 64171
Thanks to those who donated last month!
Eddy-Ballentine Trail Restoration Grant Update
THB Outings applied for and received a 2025 Missouri Department of Conservation Community Grant to treat invasive honeysuckle along the Eddy-Ballentine Trail. This short 1.5-mile trail winds past several beautiful limestone outcroppings and through the KC Wildlands Blue River Glade.
The Eddy-Ballentine Trail was selected because it helps with two National Sierra Club campaigns: Nearby Nature and Outdoors for All. It is a trail that is “nearby” an urban community with easy access so that “all” can stay in touch with nature and learn the importance of protecting it.
Since 2021, THB Outings has been working in partnerships with Jackson County Parks and Recreation on the Eddy-Ballentine Trail. We are grateful for the many local SIerra Club volunteers who have joined us to hand-lop, treat, pull and drag the invasive honeysuckle. We are especially grateful to the Missouri Department of Conservation for the award of a Community Conservation Grant to the Eddy-Ballentine Trail. This grant allowed for a professional forester to basal-treat 15 acres of invasive honeysuckle, which is way more efficient in treating this very large, overgrown area.
THB outings contributed $1000 as a 20% match to this Community Conservation grant. We raised these funds through our Wilderness Navigation and Backpacking Basics classes. We want to thank the THB outings leaders who have volunteered several of their weekends in teaching others these important outdoor skills.
We are excited to learn that we can apply for another MDC Conservation grant that would treat around 100 acres in the fall of 2026. Contact Eileen McManus if you would like to help us with this project: eileen4250@sbcglobal.net.
Photo by Eileen McManus
Eddy-Ballentine Trail Restoration Workday
Date: Sat., Apr. 4 Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Join Sierra Club as we work together to restore the diversity, health and resiliency of the Blue River Glades Natural Area. This remnant of ecologically significant public land is managed in conjunction with Jackson County Parks & Recreation & KC Wildlands. It is located in the heart of Kansas City providing “nearby nature” opportunities for all.
Located just south of Swope Park, this rare limestone glade community is one of the northernmost occurrences of such a community in Missouri and the best example existing locally. Gnarled chinquapin oaks nearly 300 years old sit atop slab-like outcroppings of Bethany Falls limestone. A prairie-like flora of grasses and wildflowers provides rich color and texture through most of the year. This community is managed through periodic prescribed burning.
The glade is threatened by several exotic plant species, especially shrub honeysuckle. Please come and help so native flowers and grasses flourish again in these stunning wild areas. Trail maintenance this time of year is an advantage because there are fewer ticks but if it is too cold we will reschedule. No prior experience necessary!
Location: Lenexa Old Town Activity Center, 9301 Pflumm Road, Lenexa, KS 66215
This Food Circle event is always a good time with opportunities to meet local organic farmers, shop local farms and businesses, sign up for CSA programs, and purchase seedlings and other items.
This event is free to the public but if you RSVP here you have a chance to win $50 to spend at the Expo!
Lobby Day in Jeff City April 15
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Join us for our 2026 Lobby Day in Jeff City! Members from all over the state come together at the Missouri Capitol to speak directly with elected officials about protecting our air, water, land, and climate. Your voice matters!
Monthly Action Hour in Kansas City Date: April 15 (every month on 3rd Wednesday) Time: 5:30 p.m - 7:00 p.m. Location: 400 E. Gregory Blvd, KCMO (RSVP Here)
Missed our Action Hour launch last month? No worries as there are more coming up!
Join neighbors from the KC area at Front Range in KCMO to take easy and meaningful action to help people and the planet, and stick around to meet with fellow activists in your community. These will be recurring events on the third Wednesday of every month. Roll in whenever you can to connect with Sierrans from around KC anytime beginning at 5:30. We will brief everyone on the monthly action from 6 to about 6:20, and all the rest of the time will be devoted to taking action together, answering questions, and naming next steps.
As we face together the unprecedented attacks on our neighbors, on our environment, and democracy itself, it is more important than ever to make space to be with friends and neighbors as we energize and mobilize each other to continue taking action to win a livable future FOR ALL.
These spaces are modeled after the Sierra Club Missouri Chapter and national Sierra Club virtual action hours, with the added perk of giving local activists another chance to join actions in person. Every month, your local Thomas Hart Benton Group will provide action you can take to advance our campaigns and power-building work for Missouri. These are easy actions meant to be done in as little ast 15 minutes because we know you're busy. The rest of the time is meant for discussion about additional campaigns and stories you wish to highlight and grow as an activist community. We hope to see you there!
Native Plant Sales April 11 and 18
Deep Roots will hold a Native Plant Sale April 11 at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64110 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Missouri Prairie Foundation will hold a native plant sale on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64110 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hidden Valley Park Hike
Date: Fri., Apr. 17
Time: 1 – 3 p.m.
Location: 6400 NE Russell Road, KCMO 64117
This hike is designed to discover this hidden gem, right in the center of things! It will appeal to those who do not hold a 9 to 5, work from home or are retired! Join us to discover how spring arrives at this beautiful park!
Trail: Hiking/Walking/Running/Biking 4 miles. The Hidden Valley Park trail skirts the rim and dives into the valley that earned the park its name. A mid-length trail, Hidden Valley has a remote feel and boasts unique, stunning views down into the valley.
Earth Day Party on the Rock Island Bridge (Wed., April 22)
Celebrate Earth Day at a special Sierra Sessions Concert & Fundraiser on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, from 4 – 8 p.m. on the newly opened Rock Island Bridge in Kansas City, KS. This historic first-ever joint Kansas-Missouri Chapter event will feature live music, FREE entry and appetizers, drinks available for purchase, and donations warmly welcomed.
Straddling the Kansas-Missouri state line, the bridge makes for a fitting backdrop to honor the environmental work happening on both sides. The event is open to all Sierra Club members and supporters. RSVP today to reserve your spot!
We will have a table at this event with an activity for kids. Please stop by! If you would like to help, please click here to RSVP. Thanks!
Team Monarch at Wendell Phillips Elementary School, April 22. Location: 2400 Prospect Ave.
We will prepare a raised bed for pollinators. In March, we seeded one bed after turning over the soil. The second bed needs cultivation, and then we’ll help students plant small plug native plants—to watch them grow through the summer. If you can help about 1 p.m., please contact Jennifer Helber, 816-520-2689. Thanks!
Help Advance Missouri House Bill 3193 (Repeal Statewide Prohibition of Plastic Bag Bans)
Ingrid Burnett, former MO State Rep for the 19th Legislative District and current Sierra Club member, came to our March 24 General Meeting about the impact of plastics and efforts to reduce them, especially single-use plastics. A BIG THANKS to Tessa Poolman of Missouri River Bird Observatory for this excellent and informative presentation.
Ms. Burnett shared at the meeting about a bill to repeal bans on plastic bags. She sends along this letter to make us aware about this bill:
Greetings Fellow Sierra Club Thomas Hart Benton Group Members!
I am Ingrid Burnett, former MO State Rep for the 19th Legislative District which runs along the south side of the Missouri River in Kansas City. I am also a long-time member of the Sierra Club and carried environmental protective legislation while serving from 2017-2024. As a Democrat in a Republican super majority, most of my legislation did not advance; however, there is always value in establishing and/or maintaining a record of legislative efforts for environmental protections. One of my repeat pieces of legislation was a bill to repeal the Statewide preemption of plastic bag ban ordinances. Currently, no political subdivision may impose any ban, fee, or tax on the use of plastic bags, and the bill I carried sought to repeal that legislation.
This bill has now been taken up by 4 current State Reps!
Of the four, one of the Representatives, Rep Colin Wellenkamp, is a Republican and would be the most likely of the four to advance the bill. This is the bill that was featured at the last Sierra Club (Thomas Hart Benton Group) meeting on March 24.
Call to Action
Here is what you can do to help advance HB 3193:
Contact the House Speaker’s office and request that HB 3193 be assigned to a committee for a hearing
Once it gets scheduled for a hearing, you can submit written testimony that will be attached to the bill and entered into the official House Journal - an historic document that tracks and preserves all legislative business in the Missouri House.
Prepare your testimony. Send it to Rep Wellenkamp so that he can use it to help advocate for advancing his bill. It’s also possible that he could add it to another bill that is further along in the process as an amendment, and support for the bill could help him with that.
International DarkSky Week is a global celebration of the night. It encourages reducing artificial light to protect night ecosystems, improve human health, and restore the view of the night sky. Responsible Outdoor Lighting conserves nocturnal habitat - benefitting wildlife, people, and the planet.
For the second year, Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, Kansas City Councilman, is sponsoring a Special Action recognizing DarkSky Week in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City Dark Sky week, April 13-20, seeks to focus on the importance of darkness for all living beings and the disturbance of bird migration caused by “the beacon effect” of city lights. Currently, volunteers are invited to stand for the reading of this bird initiative on the afternoon of April 9, 2026 at City Hall. Parking tickets from the City Garage can be
validated. For more information or to join us April 9, please contact DeAnn Gregory, DarkSky Missouri board member, at 816-590-4727.
The night sky is being washed out by unnecessary and wasteful overlighting. Show your support for Kansas City’s DarkSky Week 2026! DarkSky Missouri appreciates the continued support of Thomas Hart Benton Group of the Sierra Club, the Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality and the Missouri River Bird Observatory!
There are other ways to get involved in dark sky week!
Naturally many of our members are concerned about the recent growth of data centers. Our Chair, Ruanda McFerren, sends along two recent articles dealing with those concerns and actions some groups are taking.
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Eddy-Ballentine Trail Restoration Grant Update