City of Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay, ON
Ken Boshcoff
Summary for 2024
Thunder Bay is the largest city in Northwestern Ontario with a population of roughly 108,000. Situated along the north shore of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, Thunder Bay is nestled on the edge of the wild boreal forest and surrounded by stunning natural habitat. Mayor Boshcoff is proud to sign the Mayors' Monarch Pledge to strengthen Thunder Bay's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability. With over 100 parks and parkettes, and more than 32km of paved recreational trails, Thunder Bay recognizes the importance of urban nature. With the help of the dedicated volunteers from the Thunder Bay Urban Greenscapes Volunteer Group, we will continue to work towards conservation of the Monarch Butterfly and other pollinators by educating and empowering citizens, engaging in community conservation efforts, and encouraging the planting of milkweed throughout our community. We can all work together to protect, enhance, and create essential pollinator habitat.
Town of Townsend
Townsend, DE
Scott Lobdell
Summary for 2024
The Town of Townsend is located in central Delaware with a population of roughly 2,735. The Town has the distinction of having been designated the first Community Wildlife Habitat in the State of Delaware by the National Wildlife Federation on April 24, 2010. Since then it has recertified every year, attaining its 13-year certification in 2023. The Town continues to partner with local organizations each year within the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend (MOT) area to enhance our Mayor's Monarch Garden and create a new garden within the heart of the Town's Municipal Park. Mayor Lobdell has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with his signing of the 2024 Mayors’ Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitats through the Town.
Village of Willowbrook
Willowbrook, IL
Frank Trilla
Summary for 2024
Willowbrook is a Village within the Chicagoland area, a southwestern suburb of the City of Chicago, with a population just over 9,000. The Village is located within DuPage County and is home to many parks and public greenspace, many of our Village parks are undergoing redevelopment which will see the installation of several features that will help increase the monarch butterfly population. Mayor Trilla has committed to helping save monarch butterflys and other pollinators with his signing of the Mayors' Monarch Pledge and looks forward to engaging residents in building more pollinator habitat throughout the City.
City of Gahanna
Gahanna, OH
Laurie Jadwin
Summary for 2024
The City of Gahanna is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio with a population of 35,000 residents. Although we are in an urban setting, we manage over 750 acres of parkland and natural areas. We aim to improve pollinator and monarch habitat by installing pollinator gardens, planting milkweed, and adding more prairies throughout the city.
Town of Whitby
Whitby, ON
Elizabeth Roy
Summary for 2024
Established in 1855, the Town of Whitby is situated on the north shore of Lake Ontario, 30 km east of Toronto. The Town maintains 125 parks with 950 acres of active parkland, over 1000 acres of passive open space, and approximately 75 kilometres of trails. The estimated population is 138,500 and Durham Region predicts the population of Whitby will be approximately 200,000 by 2033. The Town of Whitby’s mission to create and maintain a sustainable, healthy, and safe community/environment can be achieved, in part, through the maintenance, restoration, and enhancement of the Town’s green infrastructure. A healthy habitat for pollinators is an integral component of the municipality.
Township of Schaumburg
Hoffman Estates , IL
Timothy Heneghan
Summary for 2024
Established April 2nd, 1850, the Township of Schaumburg provides human care services to 140,000 residents in the Illinois villages of Elk Grove, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg and Streamwood. The Township also offers a myriad of social services including, but not limited to, senior, disability and welfare services; local transportation for seniors and people with disabilities; food pantry; unincorporated Township road maintenance; passport and notary public services; property and tax assessment assistance; Deaf services; as well as general information and referral services. In addition, we also partner to provide veterans services, youth and family services and nursing consultations.
City of Whiting
Whiting, IN
Steve Spebar
Summary for 2024
Whiting, Indiana is home to an estimated 5,000 people and is located on the shore of beautiful Lake Michigan. The city is in the heart of one of the most diverse ecological areas in the state boasting numerous wetlands and smaller lakes in nearby communities. Despite the beautiful setting, Whiting sits in the middle of a highly industrialized area. Whiting is host to the largest oil refinery in the Midwest, British Petroleum. This industrial area poses environmental challenges of all kinds. Last fall our public park was planted with thousands of native plants, including milkweed for our Monarchs. Plans are for additional plantings this year. Mayor Spebar has signed on to the Monarch Pledge and promises to support the planting of native pollinator plants throughout the city.
Evans City
Evans City, PA
Cheri Deener-Kohan
Summary for 2024
Evans City is settled in a valley surrounded by large hills and beautiful landscape. This quaint Pennsylvania town is conveniently located just north of Pittsburgh and just south of two state parks, Moraine and McConnell's Mill and an environmental education center, the Jennings Commission. These are all in Butler County, PA. Our population with the 2020 census is at 1,850 people with equal groupings of young couples starting out, families with children looking for quiet environment for them live and learn and an older population that were born, raised, and plan to live out their lives here. We have a family dairy, Marburger Dairy, that is a national champion in the buttermilk and chocolate milk taste competition and their milk products are shipped across the United States. We are also known for our sweet corn that another local farmer started many years ago to feed his family of 13 and now stills feeds the 3rd generation of this family which has increased exponentially. They start in March with preparing their fields for planting and have sweet corn ready for the 4th of July holiday picnics, as well as corn to sell at community grocers in Butler County. Evans City has many programs and services available for its citizens like, EDCO a community park and pool, 4-H group, active library programming, girl/boy scout troops, a senior citizens complex, student baseball fields from T-ball to high school age, and a Master Gardener with in our boundaries. All these opportunities would make this commitment to the monarch butterflies and their habitat a value to our community. Butler County has many agricultural aspects and is a learning center for all ages. We try to educate our folks by highlighting and encouraging a better understanding of the plight of our wildlife with the barn owl and osprey habitats at Moraine State Park, and our involvement over the years by hosting Earth Day activities at EDCO Park and down by the Breakneck Creek. Some Earth Day activities and booths are Rural Water Conservation, honey bee habitats, seedlings trees to be planted, warning about the use of pesticides and herbicides, re-entry of the barn owl native to our area, and organic gardening. Now we can add to Earth Day the importance of helping monarch butterflies. Some additional activities and events that we are thinking about this year are to get the word out of how important conservation of our land, air, water, and all wildlife is and highlighting and lifting the interest of all, on increasing the population and maintaining viability of the monarch butterflies. When it comes to interest and effort in committing to the monarch population and pollinator conservation, we are currently reviewing an HOA development that will have some expansion within our Borough lines. We are at the point of our review to negotiate with the developers to also help with the Monarch and pollinator plight by adding a garden or fence row around the development to assist. It is our aspiration that Evans City would be looking to plant more sustainable plants for the butterflies within our park, as well as, help to maintain a pollinator garden at our library that also houses our municipal government. We also were recently granted access to a parcel of land within our Borough that we are planning to start another butterfly/pollinator garden. Our approach is to take this venue to new heights over several years. Each year building on the one prior allowing for us to compliment, supplement and hopefully unite the community to join us as we develop the area for the butterflies, pollinators, and our public to enjoy and learn from. The Borough will be participating again in the Science Day at our elementary school to start the discussion and initiate families and kids to participate in this effort of aiding, assisting, supporting and conserving our area and homes to help sustain the monarch population. Our vision for our small town of Evans City in rural Pennsylvania is one of hope....hope for the health, welfare, and sustainability for our monarchs now and for the future.
Town of Knightdale
Knightdale, NC
Jessica Day
Summary for 2024
Knightdale is a town in eastern Wake County, North Carolina, with a population of approximately 22,000 residents. Our strategic plan highlights sustainability as a core tenent. Knightdale seeks to promote the stewardship of our environment. Mayor Day and our Town Council have committed to saving the Mornarch Butterfly by joining this pledge.
City of Versailles
Versailles, MO
Jamie Morrow
Summary for 2024
City of Versailles, Missouri is a city of roughly 2,500 residents. The city is located at the crossroads of Highways 5 & 52 and serves as a gateway to beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. Versailles is the county seat and is home to 4 lovely parks and a community garden that is hosted by Ozark Prairie Master Gardeners and others. Other amenities include a historical museum, The Royal Theatre and Olde Tyme Apple Festival every October. Recently City of Versailles, MO was awarded grant funds to complete part of the Rock Island Trail that lies within the city limit. Mayor Jamie Morrow of Versailles, Missouri is devoted to preserving Monarch Butterfly and other pollinator habitats and is prepared to engage community members in building Monarch and other pollinator numbers.
