Community Profile

Village of Oakwood Hills

Oakwood Hills, IL

Kelly Ruhnke

Village Board Trustee

Pledge Summary

The Village of Oakwood Hills is a small community surround by larger cities. We take pride in community and environment around us. We have a beautiful park with a baseball field, basketball court and 2 soccer fields, a large playground and 2 pavilions that all bump up to our protected fen. In our park we have a large Butterfly Garden that was placed by a local Girl Scout Troop. They planted only native plants that would be found our area as well as various types of milkweed. Because that garden was placed along out fen, we found lots of new milkweed growing. In the park, there are never any chemicals used. No fertilizer, no weed killer, we work together with our landscaper to make sure everything is designed for pollinators. Our fen has a team of wonderful volunteers to make sure it remains a healthy ecosystem for generations. Or fen has lovely hiking trails that will lead you into our County Conversation District. In the middle of our small town boasts a lake. To keep our lake clean and protected we do no allow any power boats. The landscape design was inspired by the local environment and only native plants were used for plating's. We don't just focus on a small part of our Village, we protect everything as one big ecosystem. My hope is that with the steps we have made to protect our wildlife, we can inspire others to do the same

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 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.
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.
Engage with Homeowners Associations (HOAs), Community Associations or neighborhood organizations to identify opportunities to plant monarch gardens and revise maintenance and mowing programs.
Engage with developers, planners, landscape architects, and other community leaders and organizers engaged in planning processes to identify opportunities to create monarch habitat.
Create a community art project to enhance and promote monarch and pollinator conservation as well as cultural awareness and recognition.

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

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.
Reduce or eliminate the use of herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals that are harmful to monarchs and pollinators and urban wildlife.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Village Board Trustee Kelly Ruhnke	2025	4/16/2025		View Pledge

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Action Item Report