Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Friday, May 2, 2025

Program Year

2025

Achievement

2025

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Action Item Report

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City of Johnston

Johnston, IA

Paula Dierenfeld

Mayor

Pledge Summary

Johnston is a city in central Iowa, a suburb or Des Moines, with a population of 25,000. The city is home to 13 parks including, Terra Park, home to many nature areas and walking trails. Mayor, Paula Dierenfeld has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayor's Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitat throughout the city.

Community Spotlight

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.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants along roadsides, medians, or public rights-of-way.

Systems Change ▸

Change weed or mowing ordinances to allow for native prairie and plant habitats.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor Paula Dierenfeld	2026	4/30/2026		View Pledge
Mayor Paula Dierenfeld	2025	5/2/2025	Signatories	View Pledge
Mayor Paula Dierenfeld	2022	4/1/2022		View Pledge