Vireo

Looking for some outdoor fun this weekend? Come see Vireo and GBA staff at Waterfest in downtown Excelsior Springs. We will be talking with the community about the Dry Fork Greenway, the City’s newest park that will be under construction in 2025. Our booth will be right in front of the Hall of Water.

Check out what our friends at Heartland Conservation Alliance have going on this weekend!

Please take a moment to help KC Parks and Rec with a public survey on Blue Valley Park. Can't wait to hear what you think!

Kansas City Parks and Rec is kicking off a new master plan for Blue Valley Park! Join the conversation today and vote for what amenities YOU want to see!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BVP_Amenities

Congratulations to Jackson County Parks + Rec for receiving the 2024 MetroGreen Visionary Award for the Little Blue Trace Trail Corridor from the American Society of Landscape Architects - Prairie Gateway Chapter.
As a key founding greenway corridor for the MetroGreen Vision, the Little Blue Trace Corridor has been an important greenway corridor and trail system for the Kansas City Region for over 40 years.
Vireo is pleased to be assisting the Jackson County Parks + Rec in expanding this vision and reach of the greenway!
Jackson County Parks + Rec

Vireo and George Butler Associates (GBA) staff were excited to host an open house with the City of Excelsior Springs on Tuesday March 7, 2023.

A total of 45 people from the community attended the open house, which was held at the Excelsior Springs Museum. The Excelsior Citizen live streamed the event for those people in the community who couldn’t attend the presentation.

The primary goal of the watershed study has been to develop solutions so that flooding will be less frequent, less extensive, less damaging, and less dangerous.

Check out the local news link: https://excelsiorcitizen.com/citizens-dive-into-data-at-citys-watershed-open-house/

Or go to the project website: https://cityofesmo.com/index.php/fishingriverdowntown/

After a two-year hiatus, we have resumed our annual chili cook-off! 🥘

All of the contestants did a great job, but a special congratulations to Steve Rhoades on his award-winning burnt-end chili.

The secret ingredient? Coffee! ☕️😋🌶️

Stay tuned to find out if the reigning champion can defend his title next year or if he will have to pass the Mr. Potato Head trophy to a new chili champ. 💪🏼🏆

Happy Holidays from your friends at Vireo!

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

We are enjoying our very own cookie 12 days of Christmas! Mike and Robin are splitting a cookie each day because these are definitely sharable! Yum!

Get to know Green Works in Kansas City!

For 15 years, Green Works has been inspiring urban youth and young adults to be the next generation of nature lovers and environmental leaders through outdoor experiences, project-based learning, STEM career exploration, and real-world work opportunities in sustainable business.

This holiday season you can support Green Works (and meet some future leaders) by shopping for sustainable products at their Midtown retail store, The Perennial Bee. The store is currently open on Thursday afternoons from 3 - 6 pm, and Saturday, December 10th from 11 am - 4 pm. If stopping by is not an option, you can order online!

Visit greenworkskc.org to learn more, purchase products online, or make a year-end, tax-deductible contribution.

It was extremely rewarding to see the plans for Strang Park come to life over the weekend! The all-inclusive playground is the first in the city, made for children of all ages and abilities.

The design included a revamp of the historical Strang Line Plaza with a new shelter, sensory garden, outdoor games, restroom, and interpretive signage. Our goal was to tie these elements together to highlight Strang Park's historical significance, to welcome all members of the community, and to continue to provide a place of community togetherness.

We would like to thank our partners at Landscape Structures Inc. and ABcreative and the City of Overland Park, Kansas Government.

Last week, Vireo team members visited the Buck O'Neil Bridge, both new and old, to discuss new riverfront connections.

It’s Red Friday! 🏈🏟

Be sure to snag this year’s limited edition Chiefs Kingdom flag benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City.

Go Chiefs! ❤️💛❤️

Earlier this week, Vireo had the honor of sponsoring another year of the Women’s Leadership Summit put on by the Kansas Recreation and Park Association.

The goal of this event is to advance women as leaders in Park and Recreation. It offers women a chance to step out of their day-to-day routine and take the time to prioritize themselves. This day provides women an opportunity to be mindful of their priorities so that they are ready to face what the future holds, both personally and professionally.

We had a great time and can’t wait for next year!

It's Monday, so let's meet the team!

Kastasya Jackson was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated from Kansas State University with a master's degree in Landscape Architecture.

Kastasya is newly engaged and lives with her fiancé and two dogs. Outside of her career, she is known as a multimedia artist.

"It is my dream to add value to the world and those around me with not only my talents, but with my big heart for being an advocate for change and improving quality of life for others."

Happy 816 Day!

Since 2018, the downtown community has been celebrating all things 816. The goal is to increase community connectedness, which is strengthened by local business and resident pride. Vireo is proud to be apart of this community!

This year the celebration will occur in the Historic City Market. Be sure to come by and check it out!

Meet the Team Monday is back for another employee spotlight!

Jamaica Whitehead is a Spring 2022 graduate of the University of Missouri- Kansas City, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Planning and Design.

In her free time, Jamaica enjoys long walks with her labrador retriever mix Uno, actively participating in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., and loom weaving.

Jamaica is excited to join the Vireo team and will continue to put her best foot forward!

{Insert cheesy caption here} 🍕

Vireo was excited to host students from Green Works in Kansas City's second annual ECO Career Camp last week. The camp provides hands-on experiences for urban middle school students in environmental studies and potential careers in science.

Vireo staff Ashley Shmalberg, Laurie Brown, and Steve Rhoades had the students participate in a planning exercise to select outdoor activities for the Lee’s Summit Resource Recovery Park, a landfill to parks project. The students provided great input, as well as some giving staff some ideas for additional activities.

Monday morning meetings just got a little more fun!

Thank you to our friends over at Spaces Inc. for the new lounge furniture.

It's time for Meet the Team Monday!

Olivia Woods is the newest member of the Vireo team. She graduated from UMKC last spring with a Bachelors degree in Urban Planning and Design.

Olivia lives in Kansas City with her fiancé, her two-year-old son, Soren, and her beagle-boxer mix, Taz. Outside of being a planner and a mother, she enjoys cooking and sewing. Fun fact - she is also a licensed hair dresser!

Welcome, Olivia! We are happy to have you.

Collaboration Station! This morning we welcomed some team members from GBA to discuss the Fishing River Watershed Study taking place in City of Excelsior Springs, MO. You can tell Scott is really "on top" of this one.

To learn more about this project, check out our post from a couple of weeks ago. https://lnkd.in/dPRVgKyw

Thanks for the shoutout, Spaces Inc.! We love our new office and the opportunities it has provided.

Today’s Wordle

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Vireo updated their phone number.

Vireo is excited to be teaming with GBA and the City of Excelsior Springs, MO to conduct the Fishing River Watershed Study for Downtown.

The study is in response to chronic flooding and erosion issues along the East Fork and Dry Fork Fishing River, particularly where they come together in downtown Excelsior Springs. The study will evaluate potential improvement projects that reflect the City’s vision and character and community input. The resulting plan will include 3- to 5-year capital projects and longer-term needs; opportunities that offer multiple benefits; public/private partnerships; and suggested funding sources.

In an effort to better understand conditions within these two sub-watersheds, consultants and city staff have spent time over the last two weeks checking problem sites and collecting data on bridge structures and stream stability in Clay and Ray Counties.

Teamwork makes our dream work!