No Mow May – is here. A campaign which has been gaining traction every year. It’s a simple act that can help have a big impact.

Your lawn is a great source of food for pollinators

In the UK we have lost 97% of our wildflower meadows over the last 70 years this has had a major impact on reducing our wildlife abundance, with fewer pollinators and fewer insect-eating birds. The stats are stark, with a decline of 80% of butterflies species since the mid 70’s and with 17 species of bees now regionally extinct in the UK. The decline in our wild meadows has also put classic meadow plants like Ragged Robin, Field Scabious and Devil’s-bit Scabious on to the Near Threatened list.  Half of the UK’s native plants and wildflowers have declined over the past 20 years.

One month can have a big impact on nature and the No Mow movement is gaining traction

Taking a month to let your lawn grow and develop, to let wild flowers grow provides a much richer environment for nature to help bees, butterflies and other pollinators. PlantLife launched No Mow May back in 2019, since then participation in it has tripled. Here’s hoping this year even more people participate. It’s a chance to take a break from mowing, and even if you don’t want to leave your whole lawn, leaving an area still has an impact in helping to create a more abundant area for nature. May is a crucial month for flowers not mowing gives them a chance to set seed before the first cutting, helping to create more diverse lawns.

Sign up today at plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay.