The City of Greensboro and Mayor Nancy Vaughan have signed the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors' Monarch Pledge, committing to help save the declining monarch butterfly and other pollinators. Led by the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department, the City will identify opportunities to plant more milkweed or native nectar plants to help re-establish native habitats for pollinators.
Greensboro is now part of an North American network of cities working to create habitat in public spaces throughout the entire community. Parks and Recreation supports monarch butterflies by maintaining pollinator gardens at the Downtown Greenway, Greensboro Arboretum’s, Keeley Park Community Garden, and Price Park and educating the public about the needs for native habitat. The Arboretum’s butterfly garden, developed with the help of Greensboro Beautiful, is a certified monarch waystation and includes interpretive signage. The Greensboro Science Center also maintains butterfly gardens, and is developing the new Cole Family Butterfly House and Monarch Conservation Project.
“The City of Greensboro and our community partners have already taken steps to increase natural pollinator habitat across our facilities,” said Parks and Recreation Department Director Nasha McCray. “We look forward to working with our colleagues and our neighbors to expand this habitat throughout the city.”
Found across the United States, monarch butterfly help pollinate plants and lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Their numbers have declined by an estimated 90 percent since the 1990s as a result of loss of habitat due to cropland conversion, urban development, and agricultural practices.
“Cities, towns and counties play a pivotal role in advancing monarch butterfly conservation in urban and suburban areas,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior director of community wildlife at the National Wildlife Federation. “By working together, we can ensure that every American child has a chance to experience majestic monarchs in their communities.”
For more information about the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, visit NWF.org/MayorsMonarchPledge.
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