Town of Wendell
Wendell, NC
Virginia Gray
Summary for 2022
Wendell is a town in central North Carolina with a population of roughly 10,000. The town is nestled in eastern Wake County and is home to many beautiful parks such as Turnipseed Nature Preserve, Wendell Park, and Sandy Pines. Mayor Gray has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with her signing of the Mayor's Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitats throughout the town.
City of Greensboro
Greensboro, NC
Nancy Vaughan
Summary for 2022
The City of Greensboro resides in the piedmont region of North Carolina with a population of roughly 300,000. Greensboro manages nearly 12,000 acres of parks and open spaces with assets including public gardens, regional and neighborhood parks, beautification areas, over 100 miles of trails and greenways, lakes, several community gardens, and numerous other passive and active recreational amenities and facilities. Through the establishment of multiple pollinator gardens and meadows, the development of educational signage and programming, and the identification of an ongoing need to reduce mowing and increase native habitat, the city has taken steps toward supporting our natural environment. Mayor Vaughan of Greensboro, NC has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge and looks forward to further engaging residents in expanding pollinator habitat throughout the city. Current efforts that the City of Greensboro is undertaking to support monarch habitats are the Bird & Butterfly Meadow at Price Park, pollinator gardens at the Keeley Park Community Garden, Wovenworks Park, and the Meeting Place Cornerstone along the Downtown Greenway, and a partnership with the Guilford County Extension Master Gardeners to provide environmental education (currently virtual). Additional extensive efforts by City of Greensboro involve partnering with Greensboro Beautiful at the Greensboro Arboretum, which includes a formal butterfly garden, a certified Monarch Waystation, interpretive signage specifically dedicated to monarchs, and an Ornamental Grass and Pollinator Meadow. The Pollinator Meadow includes Asclepias among its perennial plantings and features interpretive signage dedicated to broader pollinator preservation. Monarch butterflies have seen a decline in the past 50 years and by informing the public and plants for this species, the Greensboro Science Center plays a critical role in helping save these unique and crucial animals. The Greensboro Science Center is home to three butterfly gardens located throughout the zoo and is the home of the future Cole Family Butterfly House and Monarch Conservation Project, which is currently under construction. The horticulture staff at the Greensboro Science Center maintain the gardens, which contain butterfly loving plants including milkweed. Water from rain collecting barrels help to irrigate the gardens. The Cole Family Butterfly House and Monarch Conservation Project will spotlight native butterfly species, with a special emphasis on the iconic, but diminishing, monarch butterfly and will create a lush, verdant garden space that will bring attention to the life and plight of monarch butterflies; serve as another focal-point species to the Greensboro Science Center's new Conservation & Research Department; will inform the community of the importance of planting milkweed (monarch caterpillars’ sole source of food); will create a fun and dynamic seasonal exhibit filled with native butterflies; and will add a new educational experience focused on pollinators and their importance.
City of Takoma Park
Takoma Park, MD
Talisha Searcy
Summary for 2022
The City of Takoma Park is a municipality of approximately 17,000 residents in Montgomery County, Maryland. Takoma Park is bordered by Washington, D.C. on the south and Prince George’s County on the north and east. Takoma Park is densely populated but feels comfortable due to its hills and large trees. Takoma Park is known as “Azalea City” because of the many flowering azalea bushes that brighten the area in the spring. Mayor Kate Stewart is committed to helping Monarchs and other pollinators thrive in our Safe Grow community.
City of Salem
Salem, VA
Renée Ferris Turk
Summary for 2022
Salem, Virginia is located directly off Interstate 81, Salem is a city in southwest Virginia, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with a population of approximately 25,335. Salem's delightful downtown area is home to a variety of retail shops, restaurants, breweries, antique shops, a library, gardens, museums, parks, business offices, and backs up to Roanoke College, a liberal arts (Division III) private college. Mayor Renee Ferris Turk has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayor's Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging city staff and residents in building more pollinator habitats throughout the City of Salem in the future.
Village of Schaumburg
Schaumburg, IL
Tom Dailly
Summary for 2022
The Village of Schaumburg is located about 20 miles northwest of the City of Chicago having a population of about 75,000 people. Schaumburg is in the largest center of economic development in the State of Illinois, outside the City of Chicago. The Village has committed to the preservation of the monarch butterfly by incorporating meaningful opportunities to support the monarch in the Comprehensive Plan, Comprehensive Green Action Plan, local codes, policies, and procedures. The Village enjoys a partnership with the Schaumburg Park District, Schaumburg Township District Library, and many residents who support these initiatives.
Town of Flower Mound
Flower Mound, TX
Derek France
Summary for 2022
Located North of Grapevine Lake in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area with a population of 80,000; The Town of Flower Mound is committed to preserving the unique country atmosphere and heritage that makes Flower Mound one of the best places to live, work, and play. Through the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, the Town endeavors to further engage in the conservation of vital pollinator habitat and looks forward to a growing community effort to save the monarch butterfly.
Hills
Hills, IA
Tim Kemp
Summary for 2022
This coming spring will be the third year of the Hills Butterfly Grant Program. Up to ten residences will receive a reimbursement for installing a pollinator garden or adding to an existing garden. Gardeners are provided an extensive list of plants that will encourage visits from vital pollinators. Gardeners are also provided small plants from a local master gardener.
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood
Fort Hood, TX
Chad Foster
Summary for 2022
Located in Central Texas, Fort Hood is the Army's premier installation in the Strategic Support Area to train and deploy heavy forces and the only installation in the United States capable of stationing and training two armored divisions. Serving as a model program for others to emulate, Fort Hood has created a variety of environmental policies, programs and projects that balance mission readiness and environmental stewardship. The installation is home to a pollinator sanctuary; outdoor meditative space; bird, bee, butterfly, and bat garden; and community gardens. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood Commander Col. Chad R. Foster is committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with his signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging Soldiers, their Families, and Central Texans in building more pollinator habitat throughout Fort Hood and neighboring communities.
City of Bedford, Texas
Bedford, TX
Michael Boyter
Summary for 2022
The City of Bedford, Texas is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We are a community of approximately 49,000 residents and have taken recent steps to evaluate and seek ways to improve and maximize the use of our Parks and Recreation system and assets. This includes a $70m improvement at our primary park called Generations Park at Boys Ranch. The City has a long history of volunteer led efforts at beautifying the entirety of our City through programs to clean up the City, planting flowers and fauna at our parks and in public spaces, and in working with various groups to bring art and color to these spaces as well. Such efforts have included creating monarch butterfly gardens in strategic locations in the City. With the new Generations Park nearing a grand opening, taking and executing on the Mayors' Monarch Pledge would be a great way to encourage citizen involvement in this new beautiful space.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT
Erin Mendenhall
Summary for 2022
Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah situated between the Wasatch Mountains to the East and the Oquirrh Mountains to the West. The Public Lands department works to create and protect wildlife habitats by increasing biodiversity throughout parks and natural areas around the city. With help from community members, Salt Lake City has made huge strides in protecting pollinators like the monarch butterfly. Fairmont Stream is the site of a Certified Monarch Waystation after a series of pollinator friendly plantings. Expansion of this pollinator habitat is expected to be completed in 2022. Another successful project is the riparian habitat improvements at the Three Creeks Confluence, which will be expanded in 2022, as well. Salt Lake City understands the significance of prioritizing pollinator expansion and currently has multiple projects in the works to achieve this, including the Cornell Wetland Restoration Project. Mayor Mendenhall is committed to saving pollinators like the monarch and is looking forward to positive change with the Mayor's Monarch Pledge.
