environmental science

The National Weather Service has lost hundreds of employees since President Donald Trump took office, and its severe storm forecasts may be suffering. Two tornado outbreaks this year, one in Kansas, took forecasters by surprise. Some meteorologists warn that further cuts will create a new cluster of blind spots.

Hundreds flocked to a Kansas greenhouse to witness the colorful and pungent bloom of a rare, very smelly plant. Plus: An important bridge in Wichita was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which supporters say will aid its future preservation.

Kansas City broke an 83-year record when it reached 76 degrees on Monday. Experts say with more warm weather ahead, gardeners need to be cautious of planting too soon.

A huge tree is being cut down in Kansas City's Historic Northeast. The burr oak predates even the Revolutionary War and survived as the city sprang up around it. But after a lightning strike and years of disease, Frank the Liberty Tree has reached its end.

The Department of the Interior is currently blocked from carrying out its plan to terminate more than 2,000 positions. That includes nearly everyone at the Columbia Environmental Research Center, which has studied ecosystems, animals and toxic chemicals for more than 60 years.

Dr. Imogen Herrick, assistant professor of STEM Education at the University of Kansas, is changing the way climate change is discussed in K-12 classrooms. Her Community Science Data Talks shift the focus from global issues and intangible statistics to local impacts and student emotions.

Scientists in the Columbia, Missouri, lab have studied the relationship between animals, toxic chemicals and ecosystems since the 1960s. Today, research of PFAS, invasive and endangered species and other environmental risks could end if this part of the U.S. Department of Interior is defunded.

For more than 50 years, the Columbia Environmental Research Center has produced research about contaminants and their effects in the water and on land. President Trump's proposed funding cuts to the U.S. Geological Survey would lay off all of its employees.

Hundreds of employees were fired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week. The mood was grim the next morning in an atmospheric science class at the University of Missouri.

One letter cites a lack of “fitness or qualification” as the reason for termination – despite positive performance reviews. The letters also contained inaccuracies and inconsistencies about the employee and their job.

A University of Missouri professor spent years listening to insects — hear how his work is influencing other researchers. Plus, a 117-year-old African American church in Parkville is getting much-needed restoration work thanks to the National Heritage fund.

A grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation helped local educators create a grassland prairie for students to learn about conservation at an Oakville elementary school.