The Naperville Park District was one of two agencies to be honored by the DuPage Monarch Project for its commitment to protect the monarch butterfly January 19. Naperville Park District received the Pat Miller Community Engagement Award for its educational outreach and for involving residents in planning and planting monarch habitat. Fox Valley Park District received the Jane Foulser Habitat Award for its work to expand pollinator habitat. It is the first year that the DuPage Monarch Project has presented these awards.
DuPage Monarch Project is a volunteer-led organization with the goal of increasing public awareness of the plight of pollinators and advocating for increasing the amount of healthy habitat available for them. In 2016, Naperville Park District and Fox Valley Park District were among many public agencies that became signatories of the DuPage Monarch Project, meaning that they signed resolutions to preserve and promote monarch habitat. Since that time, Naperville Park District has added five monarch waystations, has been host to a Monarch Festival, raised and released 175 monarch butterflies at Knoch Knolls Nature Center, and has added more than 10 acres of pollinator habitat in parks across the community.
“Naperville Park District is honored to be recognized with the Pat Miller Community Engagement Award,” said nature center manager Angelique Harshman. “We thank the volunteers who have helped plant pollinator plants and the many residents who have shown interest in protecting and preserving monarchs.”
One of the District’s core values is environmental stewardship, sustainability and environmental education. Updates and information about the District’s environmental initiatives can be found at www.napervilleparks.org/greeninitiatives.
—Naperville Park District