Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Program Year

2025

Achievement

Signatories

2025

Links and Uploads

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Action Item Report

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McKinney Monarch Initiative

McKinney, TX

Bill Cox

Mayor

Pledge Summary

McKinney is a unique city nestled along the northeastern region of Texas with a population of approximately 211,397 residents and growing. McKinney’s inherent uniqueness hails from its breathtaking trails to its beautiful parks and serene natural settings that create a unique sense of community. Mayor Fuller is committed to preserving the life cycle and migration of the Monarch butterfly by educating residents on how to create and maintain healthy habitats with the signing of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge.

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Community Spotlight

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Green Gardens of McKinney Photo Gallery 2025

Progress reflects a collaborative effort between Keep McKinney Beautiful, Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalists, and the Collin County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas.

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Books & Blooms | Paulette Platko

A Little Free Library with an ecological twist invites the community to connect with nature through nature-based literature and serves as a local seed library. Mural by Paulette Platko, Green Garden Lead.

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Pocket Prairie Installation

Eagle Scout Lauren Thompson planned and executed the Pocket Prairie in its entirety, including solarizing the area, organizing and leading a buffalo stomp, installing native plantings, and placing educational signage to support public learning.

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East McKinney Learning Garden | Native Beds

The garden features native demonstration beds lovingly maintained by the Native Plant Society of Texas. These beds serve as monarch waystations, welcoming monarch butterflies on their remarkable journey each spring and fall.

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McKinney Performing Arts Center Monarch Waystation

The four corners at the heart of Historic Downtown McKinney serve as Monarch Waystations, providing vital habitat through native plantings that support monarch butterflies and other pollinators along their migratory journey.

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McKinney's Annual Educational Series

Designed to inspire care for our environment, this annual workshop series offers easy-to-understand sessions on saving water, gardening with native plants, improving air quality, and protecting our waterways with simple steps anyone can take.

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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.
  • 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.
  • 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

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