People in Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka: You can get a good tree for killing a bad one

They're called Bradford pears, Callery pears and about two dozen other names. Scientists say it's time to remove these trees, because they're wreaking havoc. Here's one way to help in Kansas and Missouri.
It’s the perfect time of year to do birds and butterflies a solid — by killing an invasive, ornamental and all-too-common pear tree.

This April and May, if you live in or near Kansas City and Topeka and can destroy an ornamental pear on your property, you can get professional help picking out a free replacement tree guaranteed not to wreak environmental havoc.

The annual Deep Roots KC program will give out hundreds of free trees. This year, the program includes a giveaway site in Topeka for the first time. In coming years, the group plans to expand to other Kansas cities.