What if you had
a way to help save your local bee populations and
do less work at the same time? Meet No Mow
May: the amazing campaign that started in the
town of Appleton, Wisconsin and is now sweeping the
nation! Conversations about climate change and wildlife
extinction can be daunting and paralyzing, but projects
like No Mow May can help us all have a real impact.
Grass lawns, such as those surrounding
residential homes, are devastating to the
planet: they use massive amounts of water,
occupy vital space, and usually involve
mowing down — i.e. destroying — native plants and weeds
that help sustain bees and other
pollinators.
That's where No
Mow May comes in! It started in one Wisconsin community
when residents decided not to mow their yards, thereby
allowing weeds to flower and create a feast for precious
bees. And right now, bees really need our
help. Bee populations have faced epic declines
over the past decades because of human-caused habitat
loss, pesticide use, and a warming climate. In fact, nearly one
in four native bee species is at increasing risk of
extinction!
Researchers
found that unmowed lawns boasted five
times the number of bees and three times the number
of bee species, compared with nearby
parks that had been mowed. That's an incredible boon for
these much-needed pollinators! What is especially
wonderful about this environmental action is that
it actually requires less
work, not more. If you
are a homeowner, simply choose to keep your mower stored
away for the month of May, and know that you are playing
a vital role in helping bee populations survive and
thrive. Sign the petition
to pledge that you will help protect bees by not mowing
your lawn in the month of
May!
