Community Profile

Pledge Status

Complete

Pledge Date

Monday, December 13, 2021

Program Year

2022

Achievement

2022

Links and Uploads

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Action Item Report

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City of Countryside

Countryside, IL

Sean McDermott

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The City of Countryside is a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The City has over 450 businesses, a population of 6,420 and nine parks throughout the community. The City built a new Municipal Complex which is LEED Gold Certified and the first net zero energy municipal building in the State of Illinois. Landscaping including a rooftop garden were design with native plants which attract butterflies and pollinators. This past year, staff raised over 50 butterflies which were released on the rooftop. The City plans to construct three butterfly gardens in the coming year.

Community Spotlight

Ideal School Park

A detention pond was converted to a pollinator garden.

Flagg Creek Golf Course Entrance

The entrance of the golf course was converted into a pollinator garden.

Flagg Creek Golf Course Pollinator Garden

Native flowers were planted to attract pollinators.

Countryside Park

The north end of the park was converted into a pollinator garden.

Educational Signage

Educational signage was added to the garden at Ideal School Park.

Mayors' Monarch Pledge Sign

Signage was installed at Ideal School Park for the Mayors' Monarch Pledge Garden

Action Items Committed for 2022

Communications and Convening ▸

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.)
Engage with developers, planners, landscape architects, and other community leaders and organizers engaged in planning processes to identify opportunities to create monarch habitat.
Issue a Proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar producing plants in community gardens.
Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.

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 Sean McDermott	2023	2/17/2023		View Pledge
Mayor Sean McDermott	2022	12/13/2021	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

The National Wildlife Federation