Community Profile

Pledge Status

Did Not Report

Pledge Date

Monday, March 22, 2021

Program Year

2021

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Action Item Report

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City of Portage

Portage, MI

Patricia Randall

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The City of Portage is a community of 50,000 residents located in Southwest Michigan. Known for a commitment to the development and preservation of parks and trailways, we are excited to take on the Monarch Pledge! We have been committed to natural native landscapes that are pollinator friendly and this is an opportunity to have a greater focus on monarch habitat.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2021

Communications and Convening

  • 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.
  • Create a community-driven educational conservation strategy, initiative, or practice that focuses on and benefits local, underserved residents.
  • Create a community art project to enhance and promote monarch and pollinator conservation as well as cultural awareness and recognition.

Program and Demonstration Gardens

  • Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
  • Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants along roadsides, medians, or public rights-of-way.
  • Host or support a monarch neighborhood challenge to engage neighborhoods and homeowners' associations within the community to increase awareness, support community unity around a common mission, and/or create habitat for the monarch butterfly.
  • 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

  • Change weed or mowing ordinances to allow for native prairie and plant habitats.