City of Highland Village
Highland Village, TX
Charlotte Wilcox
Summary for 2021
Highland Village, a 5.5 square mile city in southern Denton County, is a desirable place to live and raise a family. Highland Village residents actively use the 20 parks (393 acres), as well as the 12.7 miles of trails within the City. Doubletree Ranch Park, which is arguably the crown jewel of the city, boasts several gardens which are maintained through a partnership between the Denton County Master Gardeners and the city's parks department. During their migration in the spring and fall, thousands of monarch butterflies can be witnessed funneling through the gardens at Doubletree Ranch Park. Mayor Charlotte Wilcox is committed to protecting and restoring the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.
City of Zion
Zion, IL
Billy McKinney
Summary for 2021
The City of Zion is located half way between Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI on the state’s border and on the beautiful Lake Michigan. The population is approximately 25,000 and with rich diversity. Township Supervisor Cheri Neal has been dedicated to Monarch survival since 1999 when she started raising them and educating young and old at UW-Parkside, area schools and nursing homes. In 2018 she worked with Mayor Al Hill to designate the Zinnia as the Zion Flower, Most recently, Mayor Billy McKinney came on board and worked with the Township, the Zion Park District and Zion-Benton Public Library, passing a resolution making Zion, IL a Monarch City, USA. The Zion Park District had also taken major steps toward saving Monarchs with creating intentional spaces for them and preserving multiple varieties of milkweed in our Hosah Park. Both Mayor McKinney and Supervisor Neal are committed to saving Monarchs and other pollinators with signing the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge and are dedicated to continuing the efforts with the Zion community. The first Saturday in August has been designated as Monarch Day in Zion, IL.
Borough of Cape May Point
Cape May Point, NJ
Robert Moffatt
Summary for 2021
Cape May Point is a small borough located at the tip of the Cape May peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is the southernmost point in New Jersey and on the East Coast migratory path of the Monarch Butterfly. Mayor Robert Moffatt is whole heartedly committed to engaging residents in the creation of additional pollinator habitat given the integral part the borough plays in the incredible Monarch journey.
Township of Holmdel
Holmdel, NJ
Gregory Buontempo
Summary for 2021
Holmdel Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The township is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, being within the regional and cultural influence of the Raritan Bayshore. The population is 17,000 we are home to 7 township parks. We are committed to open space, and preserving the natural landscape of the town. We are looking forward to doing what we can to help increase the population of the Monarch butterfly!
Darien
Darien, IL
Joseph Marchese
Summary for 2021
The City of Darien, a city of 22,000 residents is committed to enhancing the environment for the Monarch Butterfly as well as for other critical pollinators. We have joined with the Darien Park District, Darien Garden Club and other local organizations to educate residents regarding the reduction of the Monarch Butterfly population, and the need for all of us to take an active role in enhancing our city environment so as to promote the growth of our pollinator program.
City of Mesa
Mesa, AZ
John Giles
Summary for 2021
The City of Mesa is a part of a large metropolitan area in Arizona that is located in the beautiful desert Southwest. Mesa has been fortunate to be able to work with Southwest Monarch Study, a nonprofit researching the migration and breeding patterns of monarch butterflies in Arizona and the Southwestern U. S. Through their efforts, we know that there is much more to learn about the wild monarch migration throughout our region. With a size of 138 square miles and a population of over 500,000 residents, it just makes sense that we can and should be mindful of ways to enhance habitat for these and other pollinators and to encourage our greater community to do the same. It is an honor for me to support this initiative from the National Wildlife Federation and to join hundreds of other mayors in this effort.
City of Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, CA
Bob Wunderlich
Summary for 2021
The City of Beverly Hills is proudly participating in the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging with our community about the benefits of the monarch butterfly and wildlife-friendly gardens and landscapes. We pride ourselves on our beautiful homes, shops, landscapes, and urban forestry. The City is a 35-year recipient of the Tree City USA Award, celebrates Arbor Day every year, and participates annually in the Wyland National Mayors' Challenge for Water Conservation. We recently renovated Beverly Gardens Park, a 1.9 mile linear park, with a water-wise, year-round blooming plant pallet which attracts people, birds, bees and butterflies. As a continuation of our City's environmental commitment to natural elements, including pollinating creatures, our Parks Department does not use toxic chemicals. The City is fortunate to be in the monarch butterfly's migration path and have been working with our community to encourage the planting of native milkweed which sustain the health of monarchs and we look forward to engaging with the community about the benefits of monarch and wildlife-friendly gardens and landscapes.
City of Toledo
Toledo, OH
Wade kapszukiewicz
Summary for 2021
The City of Toledo is located in Northwest Ohio in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) along the Maumee River. Some sections of the City are in the Oak Openings Region which is a globally rare ecosystem composed of over 130 square miles of Michigan and Ohio. The natural habitat of this ecosystem consists largely of oak savanna and grassland prairie with diverse plants and wildlife species. We recognize our City is on a significant corridor for the Monarch Butterflies and other migratory wildlife. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz of Toledo, OH is committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayors Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in preserving, establishing and adequately maintaining pollinator gardens in the City.
City of San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Ron Nirenberg
Summary for 2021
The City of San Antonio, Texas is the 7th largest city in the United States. Uniquely situated along the monarch butterfly migration routes, San Antonio has proudly been part of the Mayors' Monarch Pledge since 2015. In 2016, San Antonio was declared the first Monarch Champion City by the National Wildlife Federation after becoming the first city in America to adopt all Champion City action items. With support from the Alamo Area Monarch Collaborative, the City of San Antonio is committed to saving the monarch butterfly by establishing more monarch-friendly habitat across the city and through education and outreach efforts promoting the importance of this incredible pollinator. Together with our local stakeholders and regional partners, San Antonio remains dedicated to monarch and pollinator conservation.
City of Norman
Norman, OK
Breea Clark
Summary for 2021
Norman is located in the heart of Oklahoma and has a population of app. 125,000. We are the only city in the state to commit to the Ready for 100 initiative and are committed to protecting and preserving our environment in a variety of ways. Renewing the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge is an important part of our sustainability goals, and we are excited to include our residents as well as elected officials and city staff along on this journey.
