Gloucestershire lawns to be left wild for May
Wildlife charities are encouraging gardeners not to mow their lawns this month.
It comes as part of the national campaign by wildlife charity Plantlife, called #NoMowMay. The charity said 97% of flower meadows have been lost since the 1930s. Impacting the habitats of key pollinators like butterflies and bees.
A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. 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.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust are supporting the #NoMowMay campaign.
Rosie Kelsall, from the trust, said: "Unfortunately a short and tidy lawn doesn't have any flowers in it so it doesn't have pollen or nectar for insects, butterflies, and bees. And it doesn't provide homes for habitats or creatures.
"No Mow May is about encouraging people to think a bit more about the wildlife in their gardens. I do think there is a move towards encouraging people to be more free and easy with their gardens.
"All of the gardens in the UK combined would add up to significantly more than all the land set aside for wildlife. So if every garden, even in just one street in Gloucester, was made with wildlife in mind we could create a wonderful corridor for habitats."