Photos: ‘Pear Shakeup’ brings fruit falling from Iowa City fruit trees

The event at Wetherby Park in Iowa City invited the public to shake pear trees to bring fruit down from hard-to-reach branches

Elizabeth Wood

Aug. 17, 2025 6:52 pm, Updated: Aug. 25, 2025 2:42 pm

Kristen Byrnes (left), Ellis Byrnes (center), 4, and Colin Byrnes, 6, sort through pears during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Colin Byrnes, 6, rubs his head after a rotten pear hit his head when he shook the pear tree to make the fruit drop from the hard-to-reach branches during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Blair Frank tells the other participants to keep a secret after he told them about another pear tree spot during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday. Backyard Abundance nature educator Sabri Sky said there will be another event similar to this for their apple trees in September. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

10-month-old Rose Byrnes bites into a ripe pear during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday. After picking ripe pears, participants could wash them at a nearby water pump before taste testing them. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Participants in Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup placed tarps along the bottoms of pear trees to catch pears that fell from the trees at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday. During the event, community members climbed into the small trees and shook tree limbs to make the hard-to-reach pears drop. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Kristen Byrnes shakes a pear tree during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025. Byrnes added that her favorite part of the event was climbing the pear tree. “I haven’t done that in a long time, and it was nice to have an excuse to get up in a tree again for a little while,” Byrnes said. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Community members use a fruit picker to reach pears that didn’t fall from the trees during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Wylie Caras inspects the pears he picked with the fruit picker during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025. Caras said he and his wife enjoy growing their food, and decided to come to the event with their son to get some fresh fruit. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Audrey Kieth picked up a few pears from underneath a tarp during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Backyard Abundance nature educator Sabri Sky helps community members lay down tarps around a pear tree during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025. Sky said there will be an event in September to harvest apples and berries. Those interested can check Backyard Abundance’s website or their Facebook page.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Backyard Abundance nature educator Sabri Sky asks community members if they have harvested pears before during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025. After the introductions, Sky explained that to harvest the pears, community members could use a fruit picker or climb in a tree to shake the pears out. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Audrey Kieth (center) places pears into a basket while Wylie Caras and his wife move a tarp out from under a pear tree during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Boden Urbain, 5, Oliver Hooley, 8, Sophia Hooley, 5, and Emily Hooley hold a tarp out to catch falling pears as Colin Byrnes, 6, shakes the pear tree during Backyard Abundance’s Pear Shakeup at Wetherby Park in Iowa City on Sunday, August 17, 2025.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)