Fort Worth is being honored as a Monarch Butterfly Champion City by the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program, becoming the fourth city in North America to be recognized with this title for its commitment to monarch conservation.
In the past year, Fort Worth has created 97 acres of monarch habitat, and it has reached more than 100,000 residents through the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.
This achievement is the product of years of hard work and commitment, beginning in 2015, when Fort Worth joined the program. Since then, hundreds of cities across the country have signed the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, with 460 signers today.
Mayor Betsy Price, the Park and Recreation Department and the city’s monarch conservation network have been instrumental in achieving this honor and promoting the conservation of monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
“Fort Worth lies in the middle of the Central Monarch Flyway, the critical migratory pathway for the monarch butterfly. Despite its mostly urban environment, Fort Worth is currently providing habitat for monarchs at city parks, schools, backyards and throughout the city to ensure monarch butterflies have enough native habitat to survive,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We applaud and thank Mayor Price for taking the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge as a Champion City today, and increasing the actions the city will take to help monarch butterflies.”
Price said: “In Fort Worth, we appreciate the beauty that comes with monarchs migrating through our community. As a city that encourages an active and engaged lifestyle for all citizens, we recognize the important role conservation, education and nature plays in overall quality of life. Fort Worth is fortunate to have a community that embraces monarchs and works to preserve our wildlife.”
