City of Loretto
Loretto, MN
Kent Koch
Summary for 2023
The City of Loretto is a small city, population 647, on the western edge of Hennepin County, Minnesota. Our Mayor and City Council Members have once again unanimously supported renewing the Mayors' Monarch Pledge. 2023 will be Loretto's fifth year participating in the pledge. The city is committed to improving the Monarch habitat through community education, planting and maintaining milkweed and pollinator gardens at city parks and supporting a milkweed seed giveaway.
City of Greenville SC
Greenville, SC
Knox White
Summary for 2023
Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville is the major metropolitan area of the Upstate region of South Carolina with a population of over 70,000. Greenville’s reinvigorated downtown serves as the focal point, contributing significantly to the city’s rising reputation as one of the best places to live in the United States. The city features more than 400 acres of parkland, including Unity Park, Greenville’s newest park featuring state-of-the-art playgrounds, expansive green spaces, pedestrian bridges and walking trails and Falls Park on the Reedy River, featuring impressive natural waterfalls, gardens, nature trails and the Liberty Bridge, a striking pedestrian suspension bridge. Adding to the city’s distinctive charm is the Swamp Rabbit Trail, 22-miles of multi-use greenway that traverses along the Reedy River. The City of Greenville takes great pride in its parks and recreation system and the natural environment. Providing habitat for pollinators including Monarch butterflies is important to support the natural ecosystem, public and private gardens, and overall environment. The City of Greenville is committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.
Miami-Dade County
Miami, FL
Daniella Levine Cava
Summary for 2023
With an estimated population of 2.7 million residents, Miami‐Dade County is the most populous county east of Chicago and the seventh largest in the nation by population. Palm Beach, Broward and Miami‐Dade counties comprise the Miami ‐ Fort Lauderdale ‐ Pompano Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the nation’s seventh largest MSA and fourth largest urbanized area, with a total population of nearly 6.2 million. Approximately 424 square miles(excluding bay and coastal waters) of the County are within the urbanized area, while the total county area currently covers a total of 2,431 square miles, bound by Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Everglades National Park to the west, the Florida Keys to the south and Broward County to the north. Miami‐Dade County has the unique distinction of being the only metropolitan area in the United States that borders two national parks: Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park. Collectively we champion Pollinator-friendly parks, preserves, and other areas, which include activities such as creating flower-rich habitats, providing places for nesting and egg laying, reducing the use of pesticides in parks and greenspaces; and then engaging park patrons and community members in this important conservation work.
City of Harker Heights
Harker Heights, TX
Spencer Smith
Summary for 2023
The City of Harker Heights is in Central Texas with a population roughly of 34,000. The city is close to the Interstate 35 corridor that follows the Monarch’s migration each year. Being in the path of the Monarch Migration, Mayor Spencer H. Smith of Harker Heights has invested in creating a pocket prairie, native pollinator gardens, and providing education that engages the community to help protect the Monarch Butterfly.
City of Lewisville
Lewisville, TX
TJ Gilmore
Summary for 2023
In Spring of 2016, the City of Lewisville first took on The National Wildlife Federation's Mayor's Monarch Pledge in order to protect the Texas State Insect, the monarch butterfly. Its 2500-mile migration slices through the heart of the City, bringing an immense amount of joy to all of our citizens. Over the last decade however, as butterfly populations have declined, witnessing the Great Monarch Migration has become difficult, to say the least. In order to support this iconic insect's journey through North Texas, the City of Lewisville will support community education, innovate the field of parkland management, construct pollinator habitat, and bring our citizens together for events that provide a butterfly's eye view of how pollinators impact our daily lives.
Borough of Cape May Point
Cape May Point, NJ
Robert Moffatt
Summary for 2023
Cape May Point is a small community at the tip of New Jersey. It is a stopover point on the southern migration path for the Monarch butterflies. Mayor Moffat, the Environmental Commission and members of the community are committed to providing habitat both as the milkweed host plant and fall nectaring plants.
City and County of Denver
Denver, CO
Michael Hancock
Summary for 2023
The City and County of Denver is the "Mile High" city surrounded by plains and mountains, with a population size of 700,000 and increasing. The Mayor of Denver is committed to wildlife conservation efforts and encourages every city mayor nationwide, to participate in the Mayor's Monarch Pledge.
Coral Township, McHenry County
Union, IL
Bill Damisch
Summary for 2023
Coral Township serves the rural communities of three towns: Marengo, Union and Huntley, Illinois. We are in the 2nd phase of our pollinator garden which entailed the cultivation and spreading of native seeds along a fence adjacent to an outbuilding. Milkweed and Joe pye weed were the seeds of choice due to the height of the fence. These seeds were sown this winter. It may take some time for these seeds to appear as plants so in the meantime, donated Joe Pye weed plants will be planted in the Spring of 2023. Plantings along the foundation of the outbuilding (phase 1) will continue to be cared for as well. We hope by sharing our progress with residents they will recognize the benefits and plant pollinator gardens on their property too.
Town of Normal
Normal, IL
Chris Koos
Summary for 2023
The Town of Normal, home of Illinois State University, is located in Central Illinois. The northern two-thirds of the state was originally covered in prairie land. And while Illinois is known as "The Prairie State", most of the state's prairies are gone as the majority were converted to agricultural fields. The monarch butterfly, the state insect, had lived on these prairies. Milkweed and other flowering plants are needed to help restore the lost prairie habitat. The Town of Normal is committed to preserving and restoring native prairie plantings that serves both as an aesthetic and recreational amenity while providing wildlife habitat, especially for the monarch butterfly.
City of Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
Christopher Taylor
Summary for 2023
Ann Arbor is a city located along the picturesque Huron River in southeast Michigan. With a population of about 120,000, it is home to over 160 parks, totaling about 2,200 acres. Over half of those acres are comprised of natural areas which are managed and maintained by the Natural Area Preservation division of the Parks and Recreation Services Unit. The University of Michigan and Washtenaw County also own and maintain significant natural acreage within the city. Mayor Christopher Taylor has signed the Mayors' Monarch Pledge in recognition of the importance of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators to the health of our ecosystems and our citizens. We are committed to protecting and restoring our precious pollinator habitat.
