As with many pollinators, monarch butterfly populations have been declining in recent years due to a number of factors. But local towns like Trenton and Lamoine have been stepping up to help the butterflies by signing the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. Towns that sign the pledge commit to taking certain steps during the year to make their towns more pollinator-friendly, such as growing pollinator gardens, hosting butterfly festivals and changing mowing practices in public areas.
“The National Wildlife Federation makes it very easy for towns to enroll in the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge,” said Larissa Thomas, chair of the Lamoine Conservation Commission . “Their website outlines the process. Participants can decide among a number of different types of projects to undertake, and you can start small, or go big like we did in Lamoine — we implemented 10 action items right out of the gate.
” Lamoine has partnered with educators and has received generous donations from local businesses during the past year to help monarchs make a comeback. “This was a true team effort, and it was successful beyond my wildest dreams,” Thomas said. Since signing the pledge, volunteers from Lamoine have created more pollinator-safe spaces, hosted milkweed seed giveaways, seedling sales and educational workshops for adults and students alike.
Thomas said that the new garden installed near Lamoine Town Hall, complete with 10-foot-high mammoth sunflowers, has been par.
