Community Profile

Pledge Status

Active

Pledge Date

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Program Year

2026

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City of West Chicago

West Chicago, IL

Daniel Bovey

Mayor

Pledge Summary

Located in the Western Suburbs along Illinois Route 59, the City of West Chicago is a community on the western edge of DuPage County that borders Illinois’ Tri-City area, and is best known for its historical significance as the first Illinois community established by the railroads. West Chicago is a diverse, family-oriented community with a population of roughly 25,600. The City is located approximately 30 miles west of the City of Chicago, with a rich cultural mix and a proud heritage. West Chicago boasts open green spaces, connections to trails systems such as the Illinois Prairie Path, and the West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve containing over 600 species of native plants and animals within the 358-acre region that is owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. The City passed a resolution in 2017 providing support of the National Wildlife Federation's efforts for the preservation of the Monarch Butterfly and other pollinators. Mayor Bovey is committed to preserving the Monarch Butterflies and other pollinators in West Chicago. Furthermore, he looks forward to continuing efforts to engage with the community leaders and volunteers to educate the public on the importance of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators, and demonstrate how the community can help save them by planting and maintaining native milkweed and other pollinator-friendly native nectar plants.

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Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2026

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.
  • Engage with developers, planners, landscape architects, and other community leaders and organizers engaged in planning processes to identify opportunities to create monarch habitat.

Program and Demonstration Gardens

  • Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
  • Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.