Community Profile

City of St. Louis Park

St. Louis Park, MN

Jake Spano

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The City of St. Louis Park is a fully developed first tier suburb of Minneapolis. Understanding the impacts of this development level, St. Louis Park has committed to being a leader in environmental stewardship as one of its strategic objectives. St. Louis Park is also home to 52 parks and the Westwood Hills Nature Center which educates and connects the urban population with the natural environment. Mayor Spano of St. Louis Park is committing to promote the addition and enhancement of habitat in parks and throughout the city that supports and protects the monarch butterfly and other pollinators by signing the Mayor’s Pledge.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2023

Communications and Convening ▸

Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise and maintain mowing programs and milkweed / native nectar plant planting programs.
Launch or maintain a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighborhoods. (If you have community members who speak a language other than English, we encourage you to also communicate in that language; Champion Pledges must communicate in that language.)

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.
Launch, expand, or continue an invasive species removal program that will support the re-establishment of native habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar producing plants in community gardens.
Launch or maintain an outdoor education program(s) (e.g., at schools, after-school programs, community centers and groups) that builds awareness and creates habitat by engaging students, educators, and the community in planting native milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants (i.e., National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA Schoolyard Habitats program and Monarch Mission curriculum).
Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants in medians and public rights-of-way.
Convert vacant lots to monarch habitat.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.

Systems Change ▸

Direct city property managers to consider the use of native milkweed and nectar plants at city properties where possible.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor Jake Spano	2023	3/27/2023		View Pledge
Mayor Jake Spano	2022	3/14/2022	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

The National Wildlife Federation

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report