Urban Monarch Conservation

The National Wildlife Federation provides hands-on outreach, planning and technical support to select major cities in the Central Monarch Flyway to create city-specific monarch conservation plans. In each city, the National Wildlife Federation helps bring together numerous partners to build local monarch networks that collaborate on projects and initiatives throughout the community. These networks ensure that knowledge and resources are shared among partners for the benefit of monarch conservation. By collaborating and sharing resources, actions taken by the networks will be more efficient and effective at uniting communities to save the monarch butterfly.

Fayetteville, Arkansas

The Fayetteville Monarch Project formed in January 2016. The group includes organizations and volunteers from the Fayetteville area including the Beaver Watershed Alliance, Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, the City of Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust. The group is committed to establishing demonstration garden habitats, working with plant sellers to increase the availability of native nectar plants, promoting gardening and landscaping best practices throughout the Fayetteville area and educating the public about the changes they can make to promote pollinator conservation.

Mission Statement: To conserve and create monarch habitat in Northwest Arkansas.

To join the Fayetteville Monarch Project, or to learn more about what you can do to promote pollinator conservation in the Fayetteville, AR area, visit the Facebook group.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma City (OKC) Metro Monarch Network formed in January 2016. The group includes organizations and volunteers from the Oklahoma City metropolitan area including the Cimarron Sierra Club, the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Native Plant Society, Myriad Botanical Gardens, the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department, the Oklahoma City Zoo, and The Nature Conservancy. The group is committed to promoting native nectar and milkweed plants, issuing a citywide habitat challenge to establish 100 new pollinator habitats within one year, improving communication and public on monarch conservation efforts and establishing monarch gardens and curriculum in public schools. The OKC Metro Monarch Network is collaborating with other partners to develop an Okies for Monarchs webpage.

Mission Statement: To save the monarchs and their habitat.
Vision Statement: A stabilized monarch population and an educated populace.

Fort Worth, Texas

The Fort Worth Pollinator Ambassadors formed in January 2016. The group includes various organizations and volunteers from Fort Worth including the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, the National Garden Clubs, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Fort Worth Native Prairies Association, the Fort Worth Nature Center and the Fort Worth Zoo. The group is committed to establishing demonstration gardens at key locations throughout the city, establishing a collaborative communications strategy, educate the public about planting best practices and expanding monarch education in public schools.

Mission Statement: Connecting local resources to promote native pollinator habitat.
Vision Statement: Fort Worth stands as an example for pollinator conservation efforts.

To join the Fort Worth Pollinator Ambassadors, or to learn more about what you can do to promote pollinator conservation in Fort Worth, TX, visit the Facebook group.

Dallas, Texas

The Greater Dallas Monarch Partnership formed in February 2016. The group includes organizations in the Greater Dallas area including Audubon Texas, the City of Dallas, Earth Day Texas, The Great Seed Bomb and Habitat Landscapes, LLC. The group is committed to encouraging policy changes to support pollinator habitat on city land, establishing a neighborhood habitat challenge, increasing school involvement in monarch curriculum and encouraging plant sellers to sell more native nectar plants.

Mission Statement: Empowering our communities to protect monarchs and other pollinators.
Vision Statement: Restored ecosystem where monarchs and pollinators thrive.

To see some of the initiatives and resources established by the City of Dallas, visit the Green Dallas page.

San Antonio, Texas

The Alamo Area Monarch Collaborative formed in May 2016. The group includes various organizations and volunteers from the San Antonio area including Alamo Area Master Naturalists, Bexar Audubon, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, the San Antonio Native Plant Society of Texas, the San Antonio River Authority and the San Antonio Zoo. The group is committed to educating the public on gardening best practices, encourage local plant sellers to sell more native nectar plants, developing a collaborative communication strategy to promote action for monarch conservation, expanding monarch curriculum in San Antonio area schools and expanding citizen science efforts throughout the region.

Mission Statement: Citizens leading by example to educate, conserve, restore, and participate in research for the benefit of all pollinators.
Vision Statement: Informed Texans providing a safe haven for monarchs and other pollinators.

To learn more about what the Alamo Area Monarch Collaborative is accomplishing in the San Antonio region, or to learn how you can support monarch conservation in San Antonio please join the Facebook page.

Austin, Texas

The Cen Tex Monarch Alliance was formed to offer collaborative support for organizations working on monarch butterfly conservation, engage in public outreach to promote habitat creation and restoration and encourage the expansion of citizen science efforts. The group includes various organizations throughout the Austin area including the Austin Independent School District, the Austin Nature and Science Center, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Wildlife Austin and the Zilker Botanical Gardens.

Learn about Wildlife Austin’s Pollinator Challenge. To learn more about the other initiatives established by the Austin Parks Department, please visit the website.

Learn more about what the Cen Tex Monarch Alliance is doing in the Austin area.