Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Program Year

2024

Achievement

Signatories

2024

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Action Item Report

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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, and removing invasive species at city parks. Mayor Carlson and the City of Moorhead are committed to Mayors’ Monarch Pledge for a fourth year to continue preserving the monarch habitat.

Community Spotlight

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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 2024

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.

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.
  • Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.

Systems Change

  • Reduce or eliminate the use of herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals that are harmful to monarchs and pollinators and urban wildlife.