December 29, 2020

Post-holiday contributions of discarded natural Christmas trees will again be accepted at four Johnson County Park and Recreation District park locations through Jan. 31.

The tree collection sites are:

• The Sunflower access point of Big Bull Creek Park at 20245 Sunflower Road in Edgerton.
• The Theatre in the Park parking lot in Shawnee Mission Park with an entrance at 7710 Renner Road, Shawnee (separate from the park’s main entrance).
• The Heritage Park Marina parking lot, 16050 Pflumm Road, Olathe.
• The north side of the parking lot at the marina at Kill Creek Park, 11670 Homestead Lane, Olathe.

Trees will be collected during regular winter park hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., except at Shawnee Mission Park, which opens at 6 a.m. in the winter.

In 2019, several hundred trees were "recycled." Some of the trees are mulched for use on trails and in landscaping while others are used to improve fish habitat in district lakes.

No yard waste will be accepted - only Christmas trees.

Wrappers should be removed from the discarded trees as well as any remaining decorations; particularly "icicles" and decorations made from mylar, shiny plastic, or aluminum.

There is no charge for the disposal of trees, and these tree disposal sites are open to anyone regardless of residency.

For additional information, call Visitor Services at the JCPRD Administration Building in Shawnee Mission Park at 913-888-4713.