No Mow May is a movement encouraging people to delay mowing their lawns in May to support pollinators and increase biodiversity
This annual campaign to pause lawn mowing for the month of May allows grass and wildflowers to grow freely. You don’t have to leave the whole thing long, in fact, leaving a mix of grass lengths in your lawn is also good for pollinators.
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From May onwards, simply stop mowing your lawn (or even just a small part of it). Even a tiny wild patch can provide vital food needed by bees and butterflies and give wildlife the best start to summer.
The movement began in the UK with Plantlife in 2018 and has since spread to North America and Europe.
Its primary goal is to provide nectar and pollen for early-season pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, during a critical time when flowers are scarce.
A healthy lawn with some longer grass and wildflowers also helps to tackle pollution, benefits wildlife and can even lock away carbon below the ground.
It is also common for baby animals such as bunnies to be found living in tall grass. Cottontail rabbits will nest from March through September and may have as many as four litters per year, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Young rabbits disperse from the nest at 15–20 days old.
What can you do to help
Making your lawn more pollinator-friendly can be done through simple steps.
Lawns that contain low-growing flowering plants, such as dandelions and lavender, can provide nectar and pollen to various pollinators.
Other low-growing flowering plants like Dutch White Clover (Trifolium repens), Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) and Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) can add flower diversity in your yard and can tolerate mowing and foot traffic, according to The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension.
Attempting to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides and insecticides on lawns when no pest problems are currently found can also help protect animal life living in backyards.
There are no set rules to No Mow May. Each region and lawn is different. But doing what you can, make incremental changes over time, and see what you can attract to your yard.