Lexington Fayette Urban County Government
Lexington, KY
Linda Gorton
Summary for 2021
The city of Lexington is the second largest city in the state of Kentucky and is a merged city-county government that serves the citizens of Lexington and Fayette County. Lexington has made a commitment to protecting, creating, and preserving Monarch Butterfly habitat throughout our community by supporting the Mayor's Monarch Pledge and other initiatives. Lexington is a vibrant and diverse community with many groups that will play a vital role in helping us achieve our goals through the Mayors Monarch Pledge.
Town Of Middletown
Middletown, MD
John Miller
Summary for 2021
Middletown is a small town of 4500 people located in the center of the fertile Middletown Valley. It is home to farms and natural environments that support our community and the natural species that live within it. Our Sustainability Committee recognized by Sustainable Maryland has worked diligently to raise awareness of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat. Our town and the committee engage with citizens and community garden groups and urge the planting if native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants. We are proud of our progress and recognize that there is more to do to protect the monarch butterfly.
Town of Townsend
Townsend, DE
Thomas McDonald
Summary for 2021
The Town of Townsend is located in central Delaware with a population of roughly 2,400. The Town has the distinction of being designated the first community Wildlife Habitat in the State of Delaware by the National Wildlife Federation on April 24, 2010 and attaining its 10-year certification in 2020. Townsend partnered with the Townsend Elementary School & Delaware Nature Society to plant a butterfly garden at the school in 2016 and partnered with Brownie and Club Scout Troops in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to plant and enhance a butterfly garden at Town Hall. Mayor McDonald has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with his signing of the 2021 Mayors' Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitat through the Town.
City of Salem
Salem, OR
Chuck Bennett
Summary for 2021
The City of Salem is located in Marion and Polk counties in the heart of the lush Willamette River Valley, 50 miles south of Portland. Salem is the state capital, government seat of Marion County, and the state's third largest city. Salem's landscape is characterized by a mix of rich valley farmland and orchards, rolling hills, creeks, wetlands, and the Willamette River. Mayor Bennett of Salem, Oregon, has committed to saving pollinators and their habitats with his signing of the Monarch Pledge. The mayor looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitat throughout the city.
City of Encinitas
Encinitas, CA
Catherine Blakespear
Summary for 2021
Located along six miles of Pacific Ocean coastline in northern San Diego County, Encinitas is home to approximately 60,000 residents and is characterized by coastal beaches, cliffs, flat-topped coastal areas, steep mesa bluffs and rolling hills. The City of Encinitas Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department is supporting the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge by planting native milkweed “Asclepius fascicularis” in various locations throughout the City. The Department has also created a pollinator garden at Hawk View Park and plans to install another pollinator garden at Encinitas Community Park. Mayor Catherine Blakespear has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with her signing of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more habitat throughout the city.
City of Thornton
Thornton, CO
Jan Kulmann
Summary for 2021
Thornton is situated on the Front Range, just north of Denver and is a city growing in population annually. In 1990 there were 60,000 residents and as of 2020 we are just under 150,000. This growth has created a diverse community and the offerings in town are varied to accommodate the perceived and real need. The department of Parks, Recreation & Community Programs has been quite active in fostering and growing community engagement toward environmental education and stewardship and this pledge is a result of the groundwork already laid in our quest for continual improvement in making Thornton the best place to live, work, play, and retire not only in the State of Colorado but also in the nation.
Town of Vienna
Vienna, VA
Linda Colbert
Summary for 2021
The Town of Vienna, with a population of 16,000 and just 15 miles from the Nation's Capital, continues as an oasis of natural beauty in a rapidly urbanizing corner of the state. Central to the Town's landscape are 10 Town Parks that make up 15 percent of the Town's land area. Vienna is also home to national and regional treasures including Wolf Trap National Park, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, and several miles of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail that offer acres of gardens attracting a wide variety of pollinator species. The Town is committed to maintaining and expanding its pollinator habitat as well as promoting action among its citizenry consistent with Monarch Pledge goals.
City of Charleston
Charleston, IL
Dr. Brandon Combs
Summary for 2021
Charleston is a city in east central Illinois with a population of roughly 21,000. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University, beautiful Lake Charleston, and is nearby the Warbler Ridge Conservation Area and Fox Ridge State Park. These amenities create a conservation corridor that spans over 4,000 acres. In partnership with the Urban Butterfly Initiative, the City has created 7 dedicated butterfly habitat “hotspots” in and around the City. With these efforts, in 2020 the NWF announced Charleston a "Monarch Champion" and Charleston has been named the “Butterfly Capital of Illinois”. Mayor Combs has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitat throughout the city.
Village of Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove, IL
Dane C. Bragg
Summary for 2021
Buffalo Grove is a full-service municipality with a population of 41,496 located in both Lake and Cook counties. The village has a budget of $80M with 217 full-time and 55 part-time employees. Village President Beverly Sussman, a former science teacher, has always had a strong commitment to the environment. She has been encouraging and supporting the work of the dedicated volunteers of the BG Save the Monarch Committee.
City of Columbia, MO
Columbia, MO
Brian Treece
Summary for 2021
Nestled between Kansas City, Mo and St. Louis, Mo, Columbia is a small college town with a big personality. Home to over 121,000 people Columbia is a friendly and welcoming community that prides itself on the many available outdoor activities including hiking, biking, wildlife watching, swimming, and more in parks and over 60 miles of trails. Mayor Treece and the City Council have committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with their signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. The City looks forward to another year of engaging the community in creating more urban habitat for this iconic species.
