No Mow May
For the month of May, put the mower away!
By letting the grass in your garden grow wild for just one month, you can help support biodiversity and create a haven for pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Get involved!
No Mow May is a movement that encourages everyone in the UK to rewild their lawns and let wild plants get a head start on the summer.
Why? Because we’ve lost approximately 97 percent of flower-rich meadows since the 1930s and the vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.
But your lawn can help. A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. A network of lawns gives pollinators rest stops and helps to feed bees, butterflies and more.
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.
So whether you have a postage stamp or a rambling estate, pledge your very own pollinator haven at plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/no-mow-may-registration-2024/ or email us: nomowinfo@testvalley.gov.uk
How is the Council supporting No Mow May?
As part of our commitment to create a sustainable, environmentally friendly borough, we have mapped out a number of green spaces and banks of urban meadows that will be allowed to grow wild as ‘pollinator rest stops’ throughout May and beyond.
This year throughout the borough we will be setting aside the mower on over 44 hectares of open space – that’s equivalent to more than 82 football pitches’ worth!
Key areas for residents to look out for are roundabouts, parks and nature reserves.
Find out more on our Urban Meadows page.
Why doesn’t the Council just stopping cutting all the green spaces?
We are contracted by Hampshire County Council to cut certain road verges, and we need to keep cutting these for safety reasons. If you have a question about a specific location, please contact us on nomowinfo@testvalley.gov.uk