Details on the Callery Pear Buyback!

August 2025

As summer begins to wind down, this month’s newsletter brings you timely updates and a look at the past.

We’re sharing details on how to participate in the upcoming Callery pear buyback program, spotlighting the unique and delicious pawpaw tree, and featuring an updated guide to best practices for planting container-grown trees.

You’ll also hear in our latest podcast why leaving wildlife alone is often the best way to help, and we take a moment to reflect on the historic 1993 flood and its lasting impact on Kansas landscapes.

Ariel

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2025 Callery Pear Buyback Program

Next month, we will share the 2025 Callery Pear Buyback Event sign-up in this newsletter! We have a limited number of trees and anticipate the sign-up will fill up quickly. Here are a few reminders about the event to help you prepare!

The event will be in Manhattan, Kansas, on the morning of October 4th. Additional time and location details will be released with the sign-up.
You will be asked to provide photos of your Callery pear tree both pre and post-removal, or a copy of a bill from an arborist that clearly states the tree species removed.
- If you cannot provide this proof, you will be ineligible for the program.
We have a limited supply of trees to give away this fall, but plan to host more events in the spring of 2026. If you can't sign up, keep an eye on this newsletter for another opportunity for replacement trees.
Trees are limited to one replacement tree per household.

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Looking Back: The Great Flood of 1993

32 years ago this summer, floodwaters surged through the Midwest in one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history—the Great Flood of 1993. Recently, Rural Forestry Coordinator Ryan Armbrust scanned old slide photos from that summer, capturing a sobering glimpse of how the flood affected Kansas landscapes.

What made the 1993 flood so severe was the unrelenting rainfall. Between May and September, major and record flooding struck nine states—including Kansas—after months of saturated ground and repeated storms. Some areas received more than four feet of rain, with measurable precipitation falling nearly every day for weeks.

By the time these photos were taken, floodwaters had overwhelmed rivers, broken levees, and disrupted transportation systems across the region. Damages totaled nearly $15 billion, with 50 lives lost.

While Kansas is no stranger to extreme weather, the summer of 1993 remains a powerful reminder of how connected our ecosystems, communities, and waterways are, and of the importance of managing our natural resources with resilience in mind.