Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Program Year

2023

Achievement

2023

Links and Uploads

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Action Item Report

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City of Elizabeth

Elizabeth, NJ

Chris Bollwage

Mayor

Pledge Summary

Elizabeth is a city in northeastern New Jersey with a population of roughly 137,000. The city is located along the New Jersey-New York border, northwest of Staten Island. Home to approximately 46 parks and playgrounds, including the Elizabeth River Trail, Elizabeth Waterfront (Maricante Jackson-Millet Park) and MicroFarm and Environmental Center. Mayor J. Christian Bollwage of Elizabeth, New Jersey, with 3 community partners including Groundwork Elizabeth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge Association among others have officially committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayors' Monarch Pledge and looks forward to continuing and expanding upon the current efforts within the city to create pollinator habitat and educate residents on the importance of pollinators for maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Community Spotlight

Mayor Bollwage Monarchs and Youth

The Mayor took part in a Monarch release party with some Elizabeth NJ Art students

Groundwork Elizabeth staff on Monarch day

Ashley showing youth about butterflies

Elizabeth youth learning about monarchs

Elizabeth youth amazed by how butterflies will land on you...

The Mayor teaching about Monarchs

Mayor Bollwage is always quick to teach our youth the benefits of Monarchs!!

Action Items Committed for 2023

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.)

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.

Systems Change ▸

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.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Public Information Officer Ruby Contreras	2025	12/9/2024		View Pledge
Mayor Chris Bollwage	2023	2/16/2023	Signatories	View Pledge
Mayor J. Christian Bollwage	2022	3/31/2022		View Pledge