Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Program Year

2021

Achievement

Leadership Circle

2021

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Action Item Report

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City of Austin

Austin , TX

Steve Adler

Mayor

Pledge Summary

Austin, Texas is the 11th fastest growing metro area in the United States according to the United State Census Bureau. Despite this rapid growth The City of Austin has a strong history of wildlife conservation in the face of a rapidly changing climate. Austin was the first city in Texas to adopt the Mayor’s Monarch pledge and has a long-standing history as a Community Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Located in the heart of Texas, Austin sits along the central fly way of the monarch butterfly migration route and is dedicated to preserving and maintaining milkweed and nectar sources for the monarch's migration.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2021

Communications and Convening ▸

  • Engage with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants.
  • 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.
  • Create a community-driven educational conservation strategy, initiative, or practice that focuses on and benefits local, underserved residents.

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.
  • Launch or maintain an outdoor education program(s) (e.g., at schools, after-school programs, community centers and groups) that builds awareness and creates habitat by engaging students, educators, and the community in planting native milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats program and Monarch Mission curriculum).
  • Earn or maintain recognition for being a wildlife-friendly city by participating in other wildlife and habitat conservation efforts (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program).
  • Initiate or support community science (or citizen science) efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
  • Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar-producing plants in gardens in the community.
  • Launch, expand, or continue an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

Systems Change ▸

  • Change weed or mowing ordinances to allow for native prairie and plant habitats.
  • Increase the percentage of native plants, shrubs and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encourage use of milkweed, where appropriate.
  • Launch, expand, or continue an effort to change municipal planting ordinances and practices to include more native milkweed and native nectar producing plants at city properties.
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Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world

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800.822.9919

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