Marlow Town Council’s new ‘No Mow May’ initiative is underway and will continue for the remainder of May — and it will happen every May in the future to help bees, butterflies, and other pollinators thrive. The Council is inviting residents to embrace the change and avoid cutting wild grass.
May wild flowers are key to ensuring pollinators’ survival but when grass is cut, some wild flowers don’t get a good start and many wild species that provide food for pollinators are destroyed.
Essential grass cutting of parks and other high traffic areas where children play and people walk dogs will continue to be cut. The majority of the uncut grass will be on verges along roads and in front of residents’ houses.
“As a society, we have come to view plants and wildflowers as weeds and tend to dislike untidy lawns,” said Deputy Mayor and Chairman of Environmental Health and Wellbeing Committee, Cllr Colleen Stapley. “Unfortunately, this ‘killing off what we don’t find pretty’ mindset has led us to where we are today – desperately trying to help nature heal —which is why we voted to introduce this vital initiative.
“We understand, as with any change, that there may be a natural resistance to things looking different. However, we as a Council can effect larger change that we hope will in turn be adopted and amplified by our residents, because small behaviours add up and we are all in this together.
“Please embrace the change and don’t cut our wild grass, and thank you for your support and understanding as we work together to create a better environment for us all.”
