Tempe commits to becoming a 'Monarch City'

The city of Tempe announced its commitment to becoming a certified Monarch City through the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge.

“Tempe is fully committed to environmental stewardship,” said Tempe Mayor Corey Woods in a city release. “By becoming a Monarch City, we are taking a strong stance towards protecting this iconic species and ensuring a healthy ecosystem for generations to come.”

The Monarch Butterfly faces a significant decline in population due to habitat loss. By joining the Mayors' Monarch Pledge, Tempe commits to taking specific actions to create and conserve monarch butterfly habitats within city limits, the release explained.

The Arizona Wildlife Federation is dedicated to educating, inspiring and assisting communities to value and conserve wildlife and its habitat in Arizona. It reports that Arizona ranks among the top five states in the U.S. when it comes to the total number of native bird, reptile and mammal species — more than 800 overall, according to the release.

"Given the enormous loss of habitat including native milkweed populations across the country, it is essential to support vital pollinators such as the monarch butterfly through collaborative conservation efforts,” Arizona Wildlife Federation Development Director and Coordinator of Gardening for Wildlife Keith Ashley stated in the release, “The Mayors’ Monarch Pledge is an innovative opportunity allowing the Arizona Wildlife Federation to work together with local governments and communities in our state to support Arizona's native wildlife.”

Tempe's Monarch and Pollinator Pledge

Tempe, an urban Sonoran Desert city of over 185,000 residents, recognizes the importance of pollinators like the monarch butterfly, the release stated.

Through a multifaceted approach, the city collaborates with local environmental organizations, Arizona State University and the community to nurture and encourage monarch and pollinator populations. This includes:

• Educational programs to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators;
• Planting milkweed and native nectar plants in public spaces and gardens; and
• Integrating pollinator-friendly practices into future city planning initiatives.

Working towards its goal, Tempe’s 2024 action items consist of:

• Issuing a proclamation to raise awareness about the monarch butterfly's decline and the need for habitat conservation;
• Launching a public communication campaign to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens in their homes and neighborhoods;
• Engaging city departments to revise mowing practices and explore milkweed and native nectar plant plantings;
• Working with developers, planners, and community leaders to identify opportunities for creating monarch habitats in new developments;
• Hosting or supporting a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap event;
• Planting a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at a prominent location within the city;
• Planting milkweed and native nectar plants along roadsides and public rights-of-way; and
• Initiating or supporting community science initiatives to monitor monarch migration and health.

According to the release, the city of Tempe, along with the Arizona Wildlife Federation and National Wildlife Federation, are engaging in research with ASU to better understand how to promote and support wildlife gardening in residential yards and other green spaces.

Early analyses show that there are nearly 100 certified wildlife gardens in Tempe, and through this new collaboration, Tempe will explore how to expand these gardens and vegetation that supports pollinators, birds and other wildlife.

There are more action items the city will be taking like working with developers, planners and community leaders to identify opportunities for creating monarch habitat in new developments, and a complete list of Tempe’s pledged actions can be found online, the release stated. The first action item was fulfilled with a proclamation at a recent city council meeting.

You can watch a video of the proclamation and follow along as Tempe completes these action items at tempe.gov/Monarch .