North Hempstead Looks To Preserve Monarch Butterfly

The Town of North Hempstead is committing to help save the monarch butterfly and other pollinators through a new national campaign, National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.

The Monarch butterfly's population has declined by about 90 percent in recent years, caused by of habitat due to agricultural practices, eradication of milkweed, the degradation of wintering habitat in Mexico and California as well as other factors.

“I am proud to able to participate in this campaign and take the very important pledge to take action to preserve the habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators in our Town,” Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said in a press release.

The Town says it will commit to take the following actions:

• Issue a Proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat.
• Launch a public communication effort to encourage citizens to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighborhoods.
• Communicate with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants.
• Convene a meeting with gardening leaders in the community to discuss partnerships to support monarch butterfly conservation.
• Host a native plant sale
• Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
• Plant a monarch-friendly demonstration garden at Clark Botanic Garden in Albertson
• Plant milkweed and native nectar plants in a mile median on Hillside Avenue
• Initiate or support citizen-science efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
• Expand invasive species removal programs to make it possible to re-establish native milkweed and nectar plants to the landscape.
• Adopt pesticides practices that are not harmful to pollinators.

Learn more at NWF.org/MayorsMonarchPledge and get more updates from the National Wildlife Federation at NWF.org/News.

Image via Pixabay