Join HCSWCD and Your Neighbors for NO MOW MAY
Spring is here, and it's time to rethink our relationship with our lawns! As part of our commitment to supporting local biodiversity, Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District invites you to participate in an important environmental initiative: No Mow May!
What is NO MOW MAY?
No Mow May is a conservation initiative that encourages property owners to temporarily pause lawn mowing during the month of May. This simple action allows early-blooming flowers like dandelions, violets, and forget-me-nots to flourish, providing essential nectar and pollen for newly emerged native bees and other pollinators when they need it most. By delaying your mowing schedule, even in just selected areas of your yard, you create critical habitat that supports biodiversity, helps vulnerable pollinator populations recover, and provides food sources for spring migrating birds. The movement began in the United Kingdom and has spread across North America as an easy way for homeowners to make a meaningful environmental impact.
There are many treasures hidden in our yards that may be revealed by letting parts of our lawns grow without mowing them. Early flowers like violets and forget-me-not may emerge, and hungry, newly emerged native bees need them for nectar and pollen. By letting our lawns grow, we create a more diverse habitat that supports a wider number of species of insects, to the delight of our spring migrating birds. Even the common dandelion, one of the earliest pollen producers, is visited by over 100 native species of bees. Fireflies and crickets benefit by less mowed lawns later in the season.
Free No-Mow-May lawn signs are available. Please stop by our office to pick one up (business hours are Mon-Wed-Fri 9am-2pm or by appointment.
Techniques to Keep Your Lawn Manageable
Choose one or two sections of your lawn to not mow and mow the rest.
Mow paths to important places such as your bird feeder or mailbox.
Mow around your vegetable garden and workshed, and an area for kids and animals to play.
Mow a strip around the perimeter of your yard and along the driveway and road. This keeps unwanted woody plants at bay and keeps distance between you and ticks.
Tall grass and flowers are signs that pollintors are out. Wait as long as you can for the first mowing (or mow just in patches) to allow bees time to forage for food.
Create a More Diverse Yard
Plant native trees and shrubs such as shadbush, chestnut trees and black elderberry.
Create a small native wildflower plot with attractive species such as Echinacea, milkweed, and butterfly weed, that both bees and butterflies use.
Leave a pile of debris like sticks alone as animals will use it for shelter.
Keep hollow-stemmed plants like sunflower, goldenrod and iris in the fall so ladybugs and other insects can overwinter in them.
Allow asters, echinacea and other flowers to go to seed and leave them as winter food for goldfinches and other birds.
Don't use pesticides that kill not only pests but also bees, butterflies and other non-target species.
Waiting for pear and apple blossoms to fade will protect a strong majority of native bees.
Image & Data from the Xerces Society