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Kansas City PBS invites the community to take part in “Talking Trees”, a live, in‑person town hall on Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library-Plaza Branch that brings together local leaders and experts to discuss how Kansas City is navigating the crossroads of development and environmental stewardship. Moderated by Nick Haines, Executive Producer of Public Affairs at Kansas City PBS, the conversation will feature Missouri House Representative Melissa Robinson, filmmaker Michael Price, Melissa Crowder of The Giving Grove and Overland Park City Councilman Logan Heley. “Talking Trees” is part of a larger initiative from Kansas City PBS and Price to explore the real‑world consequences of development on local ecosystems, and includes the screening premiere of the documentary “The Politics of Trees: The Battle Between Canopy and Concrete," airing Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m. on Kansas City PBS Channel 19.1.
“This is a conversation that touches every street in our community,” said Nick Haines, Executive Producer of Public Affairs for Kansas City PBS. “This documentary invites viewers to take a closer look at those choices and consider what kind of city we want to leave for the next generation.”
Despite decades of ordinances and public commitments to preservation, trees continue to be lost to development, road expansion, utility projects and routine city maintenance. "The Politics of Trees" dives into the conversation with residents to examine how those decisions are made and who feels the impacts most.
“Going into this production, my fear was that most people didn’t really care about trees. I couldn’t have been more wrong,” said filmmaker Michael Price. “In fact, trees provide a hot-button intersection for issues such as climate change, urban development, public health and public policy.”
Audiences interested in a first look of the documentary can join Kansas City PBS at the Kansas City Public Library Plaza Branch on Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. The town hall event builds on the themes raised in the documentary, bringing together local leaders, advocates and experts to discuss tree loss, intensifying extreme heat and the ongoing tension between rapid development and environmental sustainability. Viewers will hear directly from decision‑makers and have the opportunity to engage with the conversation through audience questions.
Together, the documentary and town hall invite viewers to look beyond the surface of tree loss and consider how decisions about shade, infrastructure and growth shape neighborhood health, climate resilience and quality of life. “The Politics of Trees” and “Week in Review Extra: Talking Trees” are part of Kansas City PBS’s ongoing commitment to local journalism that informs the public and sparks meaningful community conversations.
“There are plenty of people in our metro who care passionately about trees and green spaces. The onus has been on public officials to draw up laws that strike the right balance, and it seems that each city has its own approach. It's up to the film's audience to decide whether their city has got it right,” said Price.
For more information, visit kansascitypbs.org/politicsoftrees
