Community Profile

Pledge Status

Did Not Report

Pledge Date

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Program Year

2022

Links and Uploads

View Links and Uploads

Action Item Report

View Report
Download Report

High Bridge Borough

High Bridge, NJ

Michele Lee

Mayor

Pledge Summary

2bfbd763-b207-42e9-85aa-c5b0954ffdf5 c6a95ede-20f1-44af-990e-bda7e17873d6 b3ee549b-e745-4815-834a-1af3494840e4 a68f148a-1e19-47e8-a4d6-be1521d9f5a7 d7785001-8681-4389-810a-4b2709ea017c d6fe93b8-a954-4c44-a986-575d64a2250d 1e2e6264-9345-4c16-a907-9d6879e33390 ab0fa5fc-0b22-45e0-8a29-3f23d6a37776 51aac40b-96a1-4f0e-b160-972090a6d82c 338065d4-2b67-471f-a716-b95939467347 f2e48aac-a0cf-4ecc-967d-a90114b8a09d 1c04b373-0692-44c6-80a5-97ae3b0134d3 77291c30-c765-443c-b5b3-8e9875fd4eb3 91d3a199-c673-484d-9de3-baafa127d7ea

Community Spotlight

7d1a13aa-2d1f-4968-a466-694a97530040

Monarch Watch

Late summers, through the Monarch Watch Tagging Program, later generation Eastern Monarchs are tagged and released from High Bridge, NJ. The program helps scientists monitor the amazing annual Monarch migration.

Learn More
afda19a5-eae4-41a7-8b82-36e2482a6c0d

International Monarch Monitoring Blitz 2021

Monarch Habitat conservation efforts forged a partnership between High Bridge and neighboring municipality Clinton Township. Clinton Township Councilwoman Amy Brighton-Switlyk truly enjoyed identifying and counting Monarch eggs in High Bridge.

Learn More
c217dc5d-f86e-4898-b57e-1e17cc26f41d

Hands on Learning

High Bridge Middle School Student Miriam enjoyed being able to gain hands on learning at the neighborhood Monarch Habitat Conservation site during the COVID pandemic. After a few attempts she was able to remove some staking from a tarp.

c76828bb-c326-495b-a3b4-43d9d792f11a

For Our Pollinator Friends

High Bridge Resident Nancy Hunt has been growing Common Milkweed in her front yard for nearly 10 years. To avoid harming "our pollinator friends" she waits until the colony's 80 plants are well established, then trims around them with hand clippers.

2df091a0-597d-497c-a7f8-3d7e78769a5f

Milkweed Maven

Longtime resident Colleen Haan cares for Monarchs every summer. This year she reared and released over 50 adult butterflies!

Learn More
17e0926e-43b0-4c47-8595-878d558c4f41

High Bridge School District

High Bridge Middle School Environmental Club students are creating a wonderful pollinator garden on campus. Late November, students planted Common Milkweed seeds in an effort to increase vital Monarch habitat.

Action Items Committed for 2022

Communications and Convening

  • 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.
  • 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.

Program and Demonstration Gardens

  • Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.
  • Launch, expand, or continue an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
  • Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar-producing plants in gardens in the community.
  • Initiate or support community science (or citizen science) efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
  • Earn or maintain recognition for being a wildlife-friendly city by participating in other wildlife and habitat conservation efforts (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program).
  • 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).
  • Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
  • Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.

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.