Plant Life initiative Encourages a Break from Lawn Mowing to Support Natures and Wildlife Recovery.
Nature and biodiversity* loss is one of the biggest concerns we face in Durham, across the UK and the entire world. Humanity has become the leading cause of this decline, from deforestation to simply cutting our lawn, it all amounts to loss in some way, shape or form.
According to Plant Life, the wild plant conservation charity, We have lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930s and with that comes a drop in food for our pollinators such as butterflies, hoverflies, and bees. Mowing our lawn causes more harm than we often realise. While it is not as large of a scale as deforestation, what we do not realise is that every time we mow our lawn, we are destroying homes and habitats for insects and smaller species, along with damaging food sources of local wildlife as animals and insects feed off wildflowers and seeds which can be found amongst your grass.
To support the recovery of nature, in 2019, Plant Life launched the international No Mow May campaign. Since then, the campaign takes place every May for the entire month, to encourage and challenge people across the UK and the world to take a break from cutting the grass. This lets plants get a head start on summer and allows nature to soak up all the goodness that comes from the 31 days break.
Allowing your garden to grow encourages a healthy lawn. It provides food and nutrients to local wildlife and locks carbon below the ground. Letting your garden grow wild and free brings back all kinds of bees and insects, you may even have species of flowers growing that you might not have noticed before. There are so many environmental benefits that No Mow May brings, and it is also one less task to worry about for a month.
“With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate” Plantlife said on their website.
How are we getting involved?
Across the county, we have dedicated spots to allow the grass to grow. One example is a patch of grass on the premises of our Green Lane Building. We found some gorgeous dandelions and daisies poking out of the green, as well as 26 orchards. The area is roughly 700m2, which is plenty of room to create a beautiful wild sight throughout the spring. And we are not the only ones enjoying it, we have already recorded four different species of bees exploring and pollinating the bed.
Take part.
If you are looking at an easy way to do your bit for the environment (or an excuse to skip out on one of your weekly chores), No Mow May is the perfect step towards helping nature and biodiversity thrive. By taking part you will be making your mark on the preservation of the environment and helping wildlife flourish. If you are convinced and would like to take part, you can visit their campaign page now and sign up.
To take that one step further, try doing some research to understand why this is important to you, to us, and to our world. Additionally, you could take time to educate the people around you on the importance of No Mow May and encourage them to take part too.
We can take our small individual steps to improve everything overall and make a difference. If you are taking part, we would love to hear your stories. Make sure to tag us on Facebook, share your wild gardens by emailing us(ClimateCountyDurham@durham.gov.uk) and do not forget to keep PlantLife involved by tagging them too as well as using the hashtag #NoMowMay.
*Biodiversity: Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, encompassing species, genetics, and ecosystems, crucial for overall planetary health.
