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.
City of St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
Tishaura Jones
Summary for 2021
The City of St. Louis is located on the eastern border of Missouri along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. This location is a natural byway for Monarch butterfly migration. In 2014, St. Louis began its Milkweeds for Monarchs initiative and has established well over 400 green spaces with milkweed and nectar sources to support the Monarch and other pollinators. Mayor Tishaura Jones supports these efforts and commits the City to continuing this important effort to support pollinators and connect residents with nature. Monarch and pollinator gardens will continue to be established and maintained in city parks, neighborhoods, schools and at homes across St. Louis.
City of Eaton Rapids
Eaton Rapids, MI
Paul Malewski
Summary for 2021
The City of Eaton Rapids is located in central Michigan. We are a "bedroom community" of 5,200 residents. We are known as "The Island City." The downtown is completely surrounded by the Grand River, the longest river in our state and a mecca for wildlife and water enthusiasts. Our school system actively participates in several Earth Day events and every spring performs water husbandry events, which include water quality testing, river clean up, a turtle census and various other aquatic studies. For years the river went under utilized and the investment that our residents made was often tenuous. Today, there is a new awareness to preserve and defend our bountiful natural resources. The Monarch is indeed one of those. Royalty in all of its splendor yet delicate in its presentation. We must be their champion. Stewardship and husbandry and preservation so that they aren't just a picture in a book but a living thing to be experienced and to be held in esteem.
City of Raymore, Missouri
Raymore, MO
Kristofer Turnbow
Summary for 2021
Raymore, Missouri is a community of more than 21,000 residents located approximately 20 miles south of the Kansas City, Missouri downtown area. With over 300 acres of parks, trails and natural areas; Raymore is dedicated to preservation of it's native greenspace and providing quality parks and recreation experiences. Mayor Turnbow and the City Council are committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with this pledge. The City looks forward to another year creating and preserving habitats for the Monarch Butterfly.
City of Kennedale/Keep Kennedale Beautiful
Kennedale, TX
Brian Johnson
Summary for 2021
Kennedale is a city in north Texas with a population of roughly 8,000. The city is located just south of the DFW metroplex and is a small, growing bedroom community with three city parks and a community butterfly garden maintained by the Keep Kennedale Beautiful Commission. Mayor Johnson of Kennedale, Texas has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with his signing of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. The Mayor has partnered with the Keep Kennedale Beautiful Commission who will maintain the community butterfly demonstration garden and engages residents in building more pollinator habitat throughout the city.
