Mayor's Monarch Pledge

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

The City of Greenville takes great pride in our parks and natural environment. Providing habitat for pollinators including Monarch butterflies is important to support the natural ecosystem, public and private gardens, and overall environment. The City of Greenville is committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with the signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.

What is a Mayors' Monarch Pledge?


Mayors and other heads of local and tribal government are taking action to help save the monarch butterfly. Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, they are committing to create habitats for the monarch butterfly and pollinators, and to educate residents about how they can make a difference at home and in their community.

The City's Commitment to Preservation

2023

The Monarch Pledge aims to protect the monarch butterfly by creating and preserving habitats, educating citizens on monarch conservation, and reducing the use of harmful pesticides.

The City pledged to the following action items:

  • Issue a Proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat during National Pollinator week from June 19-25, 2023.
  • Schedule a comprehensive list of tree giveaways for the community to plant native species. The goal is to giveaway 1,000 native trees! The TD Saturday Market also held a seed swap for milkweeds – the primary host plant for monarch larvae.
  • Staff and community volunteers removed non-native invasive species in the parks, which supports the re-establishment of native habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. 
  • Staff also created additional pollinator spaces in prominent spaces including the Unity Park River Bench area and parking lot bioswales, a pollinator meadow planting in Falls Park and a pollinator garden in McPherson Park. 

2022

The City of Greenville committed to maintaining and expanding greenspace, tree canopy, and native plants. The priorities of City Council included conservation and sustainability. 

The City pledged to the following action items:

  • Engage with developers, planners, landscape architects, and other community leaders and organizers engaged in planning processes to identify opportunities to create monarch habitat.
  • Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
  • Remove milkweed from the list of noxious plants in city weed / landscaping ordinances (if applicable).
  • Increase the percentage of native plants, shrubs and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encourage use of milkweed, where appropriate.

The City fulfilled our pledge on March 7, 2022