This month we’re supporting Plantlife’s annual ‘No Mow May’ campaign to combat a decline in global biodiversity by helping to protect pollinator habitats across the region.
The ‘No Mow May’ campaign, which is in its third consecutive year, asks individuals, farmers, and organisations to not mow grass and lawns for the duration of May. This is to allow nectar-rich wildflowers typically identified as weeds such as dandelions, daisies, buttercups and self heal to flower in parks and on lawns and create biodiversity hotspots, ensuring bees and other pollinators have access to the pollen and nectar they need once they come out of hibernation.
Sections of over 20 of our parks have been designated for ‘No Mow May’ and will continue to have limited mowing for the remainder of the year in the interest of biodiversity.
Ed Chivers, Project Manager for Beelines North East said: “The UK has lost approximately 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last 100 years. We can all play our part in helping to restore some of this vital habitat to help our bees, bugs & butterflies to thrive again.
We are encouraging everyone across the city to get involved in ‘No Mow May’ by leaving a small (or large) patch of their lawn for nature, and celebrating the results by sharing their photos with us online and tagging @urbangreenncl and using the hashtag #BeelinesNE”
According to Plantlife, the British conservation charity behind ‘No Mow May’, allowing lawns to grow naturally for just a single month can provide enough nectar for ten times the number of bees and other pollinators than a regularly cut lawn.
As well as promoting ‘No Mow May’ across parks in the region, the Beelines North East project will incorporate additional bee-friendly practices and events throughout the year for local communities, schools, families, and nature enthusiasts to get involved in the initiative. The interactive activities will highlight the importance of supporting biodiversity in urban areas whilst demonstrating the small changes people can make that can have a significant collective impact on the environment.
To support its aim of creating nature-based solutions to climate change and increase wildlife habitats, over the next 12 months the Beelines North East project will create a network of 45 nectar-rich public sites, plant 2,500 trees and 25,000 bulbs, and create 18 hectares of grassland, funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The work will engage with young people, with traineeships available including for young offenders, alongside volunteering, and schools work opportunities.