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.
This pristine lawn- ideal has done nothing but cause ecological harm for decades. A NASA-sponsored study, More Lawns than Irrigated Corn, in 2005 found that, in the United States, there are three times more acres of lawns than irrigated corn, which makes lawns the largest irrigated crop we grow. With suburban populations increasing in our post-pandemic society, it’s safe to assume the 2% of land dedicated to lawns has increased.
The harm in having an aesthetically-pleasing lawn comes from both its maintenance and pits watering requirements. Lawn maintenance requires access to large amounts of fresh water. According to the same NASA study, 200 gallons of drinkable water per person per day is required to keep up with the United States’ lawn coverage.
“The other benefit to not mowing our lawns is the direct ecological impact. Early blooming wildflowers, like violets, and even weeds, like dandelions and clover, start to bloom before other things you plant in your garden,” she said. “Letting them grow helps increase the survival rate of pollinators and helps support the food web.”
According to National Geographic, “A food web consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem. Each living thing in an ecosystem is part of multiple food chains. Each food chain is the one possible path that energy and nutrients may take as they move through the ecosystem.”
We need pollinators to support our local food chains.
“We don’t have to change everything at once. A little bit at a time can really make a difference. It gets under my skin when people say, ‘how can what I do in my yard make a difference?’ It does make a difference,” Coyne exclaims. “You’re giving pollinators a chance to survive.”
When homeowners don’t mow their lawns or they mow less, they’re encouraging life. A simple decision can allow other species to thrive, while immediately reaping the benefits of their beauty. Instead of a sterile, controlled aesthetic, homeowners have the ability to welcome butterflies and fireflies into their backyard. In doing so, they’ll start to shift from a harmful norm to one that prioritizes all life.
To help address the issue of skeptical neighbors, many participants will include a “No Mow” yard sign to help educate on their intent. Most include a QR code for easy access to information on the initiative and the multiple benefits of a more natural yard.
“Even if someone does not use the QR code,” Coyne said, “people can see the intent behind the sign and can take the time to google the initiative. I don’t want us to litter up yards like billboards along the highway, but I think the splash of color during the spring is very eye-catching. Last year, in Webster Groves, we offered 350 free ‘No Mow’ signs and ended up giving away all of them. Signs are a good way for people to feel proud of being a part of this movement.”
While this initiative is gaining traction, Coyne emphasizes other ways to help pollinators—planting native plants, “leaving the leaves,” and not ripping up dead plants at the end of summer.
“Bees like to dig into hollow stems. They dig into them late summer then nest and winter there. If you leave branches and only trim the tops of certain plants off in your yard, you’re providing a home for the bees,” she said. “You don’t even need to do it to all of your plants. I leave random ones throughout my yard, cutting them to around 18 inches tall.”
The “No Mow” initiative is bridging the gap between humans and natural spaces and reminding us that every little bit helps. It’s encouraging homeowners to feel connected with the land they live on, instead of simply sculpting it to pre-established standards. It’s saving species both directly and indirectly. It’s the first step in redesigning domestic goals that are more in-tune with our environment.
Environmental Echo 