The Village is committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with their signing of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. The Village is joining hundreds of other communities across the country to take action to help save the monarch butterfly, an iconic species whose eastern populations have declined by 90% and western populations by 99% in recent years. Through the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge, U.S. cities, municipalities, and other communities are committing to create habitat for the monarch butterfly and pollinators, and to educate residents about how you can make a difference at home and in the community. These efforts are working, with the eastern monarch population doubling in 2025 compared to 2024. In addition to issuing a proclamation to raise awareness of the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat, the Village is planting native milkweed and nectar plants in the bioswales along Chicago Avenue.
Residents can make a difference as well. By plating native milkweed and nectar plants in your own gardens, you can create a native habitat for pollinators like the monarch butterfly. Monarch caterpillars are picky eaters. They can only eat one thing: milkweed. Milkweed is what we call their “host plant”, meaning that the caterpillar depends on it as a food source and cannot survive without it. Butterflies will leg eggs on all nine species of milkweed, but they prefer the swamp and common milkweed varieties.
Fortunately, there are a number of resources available to help create native pollinator gardens.