By Jess Holmes
While the “No Mow” trend may feel like a snowflake’s excuse to be a lazy homeowner, it’s proving to be quite the opposite. This initiative is extending beyond its initial purpose of protecting pollinators. It’s becoming a way for citizens to reconnect with the natural spaces in their literal backyards.
The “No Mow” initiative was brought to the United States after its success in the United Kingdom through the organization, Plantlife.
Plantlife’s mission is to connect people with nature, and secure a world rich in wild plants and fungi.
Clean-cut gardening styles have been symbols of wealth and prestige for centuries. Chateaus, chalets, and palaces have always maintained this high value of structured green spaces. And today, modern-day Midwestern towns sport homes with edged, bright green lawns with tight lines and trimmed bushes are still the rage for homeowners. But, at what cost?
Carrie Coyne is the Horticulture Program Facilitator at St. Louis Community College Maremac, as well as the Chair of the Green Space Advisory Commission in Webster Groves, MO. Alongside her team of environmentally-conscious commission members, she has helped popularize the “No Mow” movement in Webster Groves, including getting Mayor Laura Arnold to lift grass length maximums for the entire month of April.
“I see the benefit to the ‘No Mow’ initiative as two fold,” Coyne said. “First, there is a benefit to educating the general public. Having this initiative embraced by the city and being able to publicize through their website and social media platforms has helped the message get out into the community.
“I do feel like the initiative is sort of a gateway, like polar bears and monarch butterflies. They’re all cute things that can encourage people to think about larger environmental issues,” she said.
Environmental Echo 