Community Profile

Township of King

King Township , ON

Mayor Pellegrini

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The Township of King is one of the nine municipalities that make up the Regional Municipality of York. With a total area of 339 km2 the Township is home to some of the province’s most scenic landscapes and country sides. The municipality falls within the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine and possesses a large amount of natural and ecological significance. The Township of King is committed to preserving and enhancing pollinator and monarch habitat through native wildflower plantings, wildflower and milkweed seed giveaways, educational workshops, signage, citizen science monitoring as well as nature-based education. Participating in the Mayors Monarch pledge directly aligns with municipal priorities while also supporting Environmental Stewardship initiatives focused on educating and engaging residents and enhancing monarch and pollinator habitat throughout the municipality.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2024

Communications and Convening ▸

Launch or maintain a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighborhoods. (If you have community members who speak a language other than English, we encourage you to also communicate in that language; Champion Pledges must communicate in that language.)
Engage with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants.
Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise and maintain mowing programs and milkweed / native nectar plant planting programs.
Engage with gardening leaders and partners (e.g., Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Nature Centers, Native Plant Society Chapters , other long-standing and influential community leaders) to support monarch butterfly conservation.
Create a community art project to enhance and promote monarch and pollinator conservation as well as cultural awareness and recognition.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
Launch or maintain an outdoor education program(s) (e.g., at schools, after-school programs, community centers and groups) that builds awareness and creates habitat by engaging students, educators, and the community in planting native milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats program and Monarch Mission curriculum).
Initiate or support community science (or citizen science) efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar-producing plants in gardens in the community.
Launch, expand, or continue an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.

Systems Change ▸

Increase the percentage of native plants, shrubs and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encourage use of milkweed, where appropriate.
Integrate monarch butterfly conservation into the city’s Park Master Plan, Sustainability Plan, Climate Resiliency Plan or other city plans.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor Mayor Pellegrini	2024	3/8/2024	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor Steve Pellegrini	2023	3/21/2023	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor Steve Pellegrini	2022	1/17/2022	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor Steve Pellegrini	2021	12/7/2020	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Achievement

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report