Meet Zachary Callaway

We were lucky to catch up with Zachary Callaway recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

From a young age my parents instilled in me a focus on the effort I’m able to exert towards solving a problem, rather than on outcomes I can’t control. I’m very lucky to have internalized this at a young age, and I’m trying to pass it along to my own children! With this outlook, shortcomings and losses are no longer demoralizing failures, but a chance to learn and adjust our own efforts in future attempts.

I started doing this work several years ago because it gave me a purpose worth exerting my efforts into. Climate and ecological predictions grow more dire each year, and it’s easy to get disheartened. The work I do to reintegrate Kansas City yards into the local ecosystem is a tiny part of what needs to happen to prevent disaster, but tiny parts can grow and merge into large, organized movements with time, intention, and consistent effort.

I’ve made plenty of mistakes and constantly discover ways I can do better. When you have a goal worth pursuing, though, it’s much easier to remain optimistic, take those shortcomings in stride, and learn from your mistakes.

My optimism is maintained and fed by finding others who believe in putting their efforts toward a common cause. The phrase really is true: “A problem shared is a problem halved. A joy shared is a joy doubled.” While I try to focus my energy on the efforts I can control, it’s also fun to enjoy the small wins when they come!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I have been working as an independent Native Plant Landscaper since 2024. My business, KC Native Landscapes, specializes in using native plants and sustainable practices to help clients in the Kansas City create ecologically connected, regenerative, and beautiful outdoor spaces.

By educating and building relationships with clients, my goal is to empower them to become stewards of their land in a way that helps repair the ecological damage done by contemporary land management practices. Kansas City sits at the edge of the tallgrass prairie – one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, and simultaneously one of the most depleted. While replacing a section of your yard with native prairie flowers may seem like a small action, it can be a literal life-saver for migrating pollinators or local birds and insects.

This winter, I’ve been busy enhancing the skills and services I provide to clients by working towards Pollinator Partnership Steward Certification and MARC Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance Certification. I’ve also been developing a prototype bee house and bird/pollinator bubbler to offer as part of project installations – lots I’m excited to share about this 2026 season!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Critical Thinking: Being able to “learn how to learn” is perhaps the most important skill I’ve applied throughout all aspects of my professional and personal life. The ability to discern helpful from harmful advice, to figure out how to break down a problem when a clear solution isn’t available, and to apply self-critique are so crucial when you take on any big project.
2. Be Personable: We all need other people. Learning how to communicate, earn trust, and maintain good relationships with others (regardless of my own personal feelings), is necessary to accomplish anything outside of my immediate scope. And as it turns out, most things are out of my immediate scope!
3. Find joy in the struggle: When I have a clear purpose motivating my work, it is so much easier to have fun and enjoy it, even when it’s difficult or when I don’t succeed.

As far as advice for those early in their journey, I would sum up my own lessons learned in the following points:
– Read and learn about everything you can, and constantly make novel connections between what you learn.
– Constantly assess if your actions are in alignment with your values and goals.
– Don’t be afraid to question your motivations and values, and know that even core parts of yourself will change over time.
– Don’t burn bridges!
– Following through, both with yourself and others, is what builds trust and confidence.
– Being wrong is almost always a necessary first step towards being right.
– Building lifelong relationships and camaraderie is way more fulfilling than whatever “networking” is
– Have fun!

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

I love working with clients who are passionate about the ecological and climate impact of the small slice of earth they maintain. An ideal client doesn’t need to know a lot about pollinators, birds, or indigenous prairie plants, but understands that the current model of turf lawn isn’t feeding anything but your water bill and big box hardware store. It’s very rewarding to watch someone grow into a steward of the land they live on and appreciate the connections in our ecosystem, Most importantly, they need to send me photos of the new bees, wasps, and butterflies that appear in their yard!