Community Profile

City of Moorhead

Moorhead, MN

Shelly Carlson

Mayor

Pledge Summary

Moorhead is a city in Northwestern Minnesota with a population of approximately 45,000. Moorhead has engaged in numerous initiatives over the past several years to preserve the monarch habitat including the passage of a natural lawn ordinance, planting demonstration gardens at different city owned buildings and parks, revising the mosquito spraying approval process, adding signage to pollinator gardens, and removing invasive species at city parks. Mayor Carlson and the City of Moorhead are committed to Mayors’ Monarch Pledge for a sixth year to continue preserving the monarch habitat.

Community Spotlight

Public Works Pollinator Planting

Forestry, Parks Maintenance staff, and a Forestry Corps member converted over 4,000 square feet of lawn into a pollinator bed. Over 600 plants were planted, consisting of over 90 species of nectar-producing and host plants for local butterflies.

Action Items Committed for 2026

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 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 developers, planners, landscape architects, and other community leaders and organizers engaged in planning processes to identify opportunities to create monarch habitat.
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.
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.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor Shelly Carlson	2026	3/9/2026		View Pledge
Mayor Shelly Carlson	2025	3/21/2025	Signatories	View Pledge
Mayor Shelly Carlson	2024	3/26/2024	Signatories	View Pledge
Mayor Shelly Carlson	2023	3/30/2023	Signatories	View Pledge
City of Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson	2022	2/8/2022	Signatories	View Pledge
Mayor Shelly Carlson	2021	4/26/2021	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report