Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Program Year

2022

Achievement

2022

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Action Item Report

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Town of Hempstead

Hempstead, NY

Don Clavin

Town Supervisor

Pledge Summary

The Town of Hempstead is proud to be America's largest township, with a population of approximately 770,000 people, and also one of the nation’s oldest, dating back to 1644. Bordering New York City to the east, and the Hempstead Bay estuary and Atlantic Ocean on the southern border, the town encompasses more than 142 square miles, 20,000 acres of wetlands, and 180 miles of coastal waterways. With 2022 being the first year the Town of Hempstead will be taking the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, the town is committing to various actions that include public outreach and education about native pollinator plants that support monarch populations, a citizen science project where the town will be tagging monarch butterflies in partnership with Camp ANCHOR in Lido Beach, and installing several demonstrating gardens at town facilities. The town owns and operates a greenhouse that is focused on native pollinator plant species that will be able to support many of these action items.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2022

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 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.
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.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
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.
Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.

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
Town Supervisor Don Clavin	2024	3/19/2024	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Town Supervisor Don Clavin	2023	3/28/2023	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Town Supervisor Don Clavin	2022	4/27/2022	Leadership Circle	View Pledge