Community Profile

Lanark County

County of Lanark, ON

Toby Randell

Warden

Pledge Summary

Lanark County, located in rural Eastern Ontario, is home to approximately 75,000 residents and is celebrated for its stunning natural landscapes, charming small towns, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant maple syrup industry. Lanark County has shown a strong commitment to pollinator habitat conservation by promoting the restoration of native habitats, encouraging biodiversity, and involving the community in various conservation efforts. More specifically, Lanark County has initiated roadside pollinator habitat restoration efforts, focusing on transforming roadside areas into native meadow habitats to support pollinators and enhance local biodiversity. Through the Mayors' Monarch Pledge, this year Lanark County is committing to engaging the community in habitat conservation for monarch butterflies by raising public awareness, encouraging community participation, and collaborating with municipal departments to create and maintain habitats. Additionally, the County aims to foster a supportive environment through community-driven initiatives and educational efforts.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2025

Communications and Convening ▸

Issue a proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat. This proclamation must incorporate a focus on monarch conservation.
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 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 ▸

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.
Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants along roadsides, medians, or public rights-of-way.
Initiate or support community science (or citizen science) efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
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 ▸

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
Warden Toby Randell	2025	3/28/2025		View Pledge
Warden Steve Fournier	2024	3/28/2024	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Warden Peter McLaren	2023	3/1/2023	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Warden John Fenik	2022	3/25/2022	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Warden Christa Lowry	2021	4/8/2021	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report