The National Wildlife Federation

Community Profile

Pledge Status

Active

Pledge Date

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Program Year

2023

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Action Item Report

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City of Rolling Meadows

Rolling Meadows, IL

Joe Gallo

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The City of Rolling Meadows is a city roughly 20 miles Northwest of Chicago, IL with a population of approximately 25,000 residents. The city has an abundance of parks and public space. In addition to it's public spaces and parks, there are community gardens. These community gardens are plots of green space where residents can grow produce and flowers. Mayor Gallo of Rolling Meadows, IL has committed to saving the monarch butterfly and other pollinators with his signing of the Mayors' pledge and looks forward to encouraging residents to plant more native plants and flowers giving our indigenous pollinators more to feed on.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2023

Communications and Convening

  • Engage with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar-producing plants.
  • 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.
  • Engage with gardening leaders and partners (e.g., Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Nature Centers, Native Plant Society Chapters , other long-standing and influential community leaders) to support monarch butterfly conservation.
  • Issue a Proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat.

Program and Demonstration Gardens

  • Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
  • Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants in medians and public rights-of-way.

Systems Change

  • Change ordinances so herbicides, insecticides, or other chemicals used in the community are not harmful to pollinators.
  • Increase the percentage of native plants, shrubs and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encourage use of milkweed, where appropriate.