What is the No Mow May Challenge?

no mow may lawn sign

The Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) is asking residents to help support pollinators during this crucial spring period as they are seeking their first food sources of the season such as dandelions and other flowers typically found in lawns. This movement is important as research indicates a mass extinction of insects is underway. Of particular concern in recent years, is the decline of the bee population.

Residents are asked to avoid mowing lawns until June with the goal of preventing disturbance of overwintering insects and amphibians that may be burrowed or hiding in leaves and lawns, and to increase food sources to pollinators.

How you can participate

Thank you to everyone who participated in No Mow May! All donations will go to the David Suzuki Foundation Butterfly Way. 

No Mow May Prize

Congrats to this year’s winners, Marilyn and Graham! They took the pledge during May to protect pollinators by not mowing their lawn and have won a bee-utiful prize from Queensville Farm Supply.

No Mow May Winners with Mayor Hackson and Councillor Carruthers

How to manage grass clippings during No Mow May
Grass clippings are banned at the Regional yard waste facility as well as for our curbside collection program.

Tips on how to manage grass clippings through the No Mow May event:

  1. For the first cut in June, raise your mower to it’s highest setting.
  2. Over the next few cuts, gradually lower your mower deck to your desired height.
  3. The ideal height is 2 ½ inches.
  4. Mulching grass clippings is a great way to help conserve water
  5. Dry (and brown) grass clippings can be collected and composted in your backyard home composter.

Other Ways to Participate/What you can do after May?

Whether you can participate in No Mow May or not, you can help pollinators throughout the spring and summer by:

  1. Planting a pollinator garden. Choose a variety of native flowering plants, such as Asters, Bee Balm, Milkweed and Coneflowers, with varying bloom times that last from spring until fall in order to provide food sources all season long.
  2. Choose a section of your lawn that can remain uncut all summer long.
  3. Decrease mowing frequency throughout the mowing season. Let your lawn grow a little longer than normal, ideally mowing only once or twice per month.
  4. Mow at the highest setting. This allows low lying flowers to continue to grow and decreases re-flower time for those that are mown.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a similar initiative underway. You can also learn more about the David Suzuki Foundation Butterfly Way initiative, here.