Community Profile

Pledge Summary

Hills is a small bedroom community located in the southern part of Johnson County, Iowa. Hills has a quaint downtown, a small neighborhood elementary school and three lovely public parks. The mayor of Hills, Tim Kemp, took the National Wildlife Foundation’s Monarch Pledge in February 2020. By taking this pledge, the Mayor committed the City to Monarch Butterfly conservation. Despite the challenges faced this past year, the City was able to make substantial progress toward this commitment. It was able to transform an annual flower garden into a beautiful perennial pollinator garden in the Hills City Park. It was also able to initiate a reimbursement grant project for residents interested in creating their own pollinator gardens. Four residents applied and installed butterfly gardens on their properties and were reimbursed for their expenses. The City is hopeful that more residents will apply for this grant in the spring of 2021. It is the City’s goal that this project will continue to spark interest throughout town and thus encourage residents to set aside space in their own yards to plant native wildflowers that will further protect pollinators and conserve butterfly populations.