How to Issue Wildlife-Friendly Proclamations in Your Community

Wildlife and humans can and should co-exist in sustainable, healthy communities. Community leaders such as mayors, city councilors, county commissioners, and municipal staff across the country are making the connection between healthy, sustainable human communities and wildlife conservation by issuing wildlife-friendly proclamations that promote resident engagement around wildlife conservation and habitat restoration.

The National Wildlife Federation has released a new “Guide to Issuing Wildlife Friendly Proclamations.” This guide features three template proclamations, National Pollinator Week, Garden for Wildlife Month, and Mayors’ Monarch Pledge Day that any city or community in the nation can use. This guide can be found on the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge website along with the downloadable template and example proclamations. 

Authentic community engagement, awareness, and support is pivotal as we work collectively to reverse our current wildlife crisis. City leaders can help lead this by making a declaration of commitment to the health of both humans and wildlife. 

Globally there are over a million species threatened with extinction and one-third of North American wildlife species are at increased risk of extinction in the coming decades. Habitat fragmentation, loss of native plants, habitat loss and disease are major factors. Mainstream garden and landscape practices rely on chemicals exposing people and wildlife to systemic harm.

Proclamations are an important step in addressing this decline as they can support local initiatives that promote wildlife gardening, and the use of sustainable gardening practices.

Mayor Ivy Taylor of San Antonio, Texas, signed the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge in 2015 and became the first city in the nation to become a “Monarch Champion.” The city committed to 24 pledge actions including a Mayors’ Monarch Pledge Day proclamation to celebrate and promote their leadership and success. This proclamation now serves as an annual commitment to monarch and pollinator conservation.

Governors across the country have also issued proclamations for wildlife conservation. States like Vermont have issued a Pollinator Week proclamation in June and Washington state has issued April as Native Plant Appreciation Month. 

Local leaders can issue proclamations to coincide with federal and state proclamations as well as other local campaigns, events, or cultural festivals that are aligned with the mission of pollinator and wildlife conservation. Local leaders can also leverage these proclamations to promote Garden for Wildlife Month, Pollinator Week, Earth Day, or other local initiatives or organizations regarding sustainable gardening, wildlife conservation, and community engagement. 

Proclamations are a valuable asset that local leaders have and they can set the standard for community values surrounding conservation and our connections to wildlife and the outdoors. Read our new “Guide to Issuing Wildlife Friendly Proclamations” to support local leadership and resident engagement. 

Check out the Community Wildlife Habitat,  Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, and Sacred Grounds programs for ways to get involved in community-driven conservation and work with your local schools through Eco-Schools USA and Schoolyard Habitats programs.