This session will provide a review of how to plan and implement a long term sustainable approach to integrating native plants into a city, including how to navigate the politics, inspire public support, and set in place a culture that encourages native plants and builds a stronger community.

Mayor Gilmore will review community planning, leveraging commitments like the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge (an initiative of the National Wildlife Federation in North America to support endangered monarch butterflies) and Tree City Certifications, navigating pushback from those unfamiliar with native resources, and collaborating with various organizations in the community to support initiatives.

TJ Gilmore grew up in the desert southwest of Yuma, Arizona. He currently serves as the Mayor of Lewisville, Texas. Over the past 15 years, he has watched his community grow and become concerned with the challenges Texas is beginning to have with water and conservation of native space. Mayor Gilmore has worked with citizens, staff, and organizations to help create a more sustainable way to handle both public and private spaces by encouraging native planting and more water-wise options – not through mandates, but through citizen engagement with their community. He’s proud to help Texans realize that the prairie is part of what makes Texas great.