MISSOURI, USA — Conservation groups around Missouri have issued a bounty on all the heads of Bradford pears and Callery pears rooted in the state.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has partnered with the Missouri Invasive Plant Council, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, and Forrest Keeling Nursery to incentivize people to ditch the problematic trees, which wreak havoc on the state's environment.
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The group will host a "buyback" program. Anyone who submits a photo of their cutdown Bradford pear or Callery pear will get a free native tree to replace it with. The registration process to submit a photo started Friday and runs through April 15.
Participants will be able to pick up their new free native tree on April 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at one of the participating city locations, including:
- St. Louis
- Columbia
- Cape Girardeau
- Farmington
- Kennett
- Springfield
- Joplin
- Lebanon
- Hannibal
- Rolla
- West Plains
- Kirksville
- St. Joseph
- Kansas City
"The Callery pear, also known as the Bradford pear, Cleveland Select, Autumn Blaze, or Aristocrat, is a highly invasive tree that multiplies quickly and crowds out native plants," the MDC website said. "Callery pears’ ability to cross-pollinate is why many roadsides, rights-of-way, parks, and other natural areas are filled with more white blooms every spring. They quickly invade open areas and crowd out native tree species."
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