BRITS ARE URGED DITCH THEIR LAWNMOWERS THIS MONTH FOR NO MOW MAY

Brits are being told to lock up their lawnmowers and let wildlife take over their gardens for No Mow May, in an eco craze that threatens to pit neighbours against one another.

The one-month celebration of unkept gardens and overgrown parks was launched back in 2019 by nature charity Plantlife.

Designed to shine a spotlight on biodiversity, some 40 locals councils have signed up to this year's effort, vowing to let their verges and parks to grow.

But previous installments have led to curtain-twitching busy-bodies clashing with their neighbours for not trimming their gardens - with eco-warriors shaming those who continue to cut their grass.

And this year's campaign has already sparked fury in one English city after its council announced a ban on cutting grass for the whole of May.

Residents living in Bradford were left fuming after the city council announced it won't be mowing its lawns and green spaces in a bid to give insects the chance to pollinate and prop up the food chain.

Bradford City Council said 37 parks, 118 recreation grounds, 25 cemeteries and 85 other sites will be left unmown in May. While other sites will be turned into 'meadows' and left untouched until July.

But taxpayers who had not heard of No Mow May were left outraged by the move, with one writing: 'I have heard it all now! So do we get 'No Pay May' on our council tax?'

News of the national campaign's return has been met with a mixed reception online, with some celebrating it, while others blasted it. 'The world's gone mad,' wrote one person on TikTok.

Others railed against the eco event, with one man on X writing: 'Oh brilliant #NoMowMay is back again. Time for me to get eco-shamed by my neighbours again. Yay...'

Refusing to join the effort, another added: 'I will mow this May. It isn't a drab and dismal duty. It isn't a mindless, pointless ritual serving the cold demands of a soulless suburban deity. It's participating in the joyous bounty of creation.'

Others online even appeared to eco-shame their neighbours for not taking part in the craze.

'I'm the only one taking part in No Mow May in my street, not even a daisy left in most lawns,' one person wrote on X.

And in jab at house-proud homeowners, one person on TikTok said: 'In my experience No Mow May just helps snobby people who want pristine gardens judge others less and reminds them that wildlife is beautiful even if not neat and perfect.'

While in another barbed comment, one man seemed to slam those who didn't carry on with the craze for longer: 'So come June 1st you take away the pollinator's food source they had got used to. That's nice for them.'

According to Plantlife, the country has lost around 97 per cent of its meadows since the 1930s, meaning food for pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, has gone.

Andrew Doyle, the conservation officer for road verges and green spaces at Plantlife, said: 'Experiencing the biodiversity benefits and cost savings a magical month of No Mow May brings in is a glorious gateway for councils to pass through en route to the more long-term wildlife-friendly grasslands green space management our wild plants and fungi – and the ecosystems that depend on them – need to thrive, benefiting the local community and climate.'

Wandsworth council, in south London, is taking part in the event alongside other authorities in Warwick and the Isle of Wight.

The London council is leaving 20 designated sites unmown and recommending local households do the same with their gardens.

Ian Dunn, the chief executive of Plantlife, insisted the campaign was 'blossoming beautifully'.

He added: 'The small act of giving the mower a month off, and then mowing less through the summer, can make a big difference at a time when we face interlinked climate and biodiversity emergencies.'

2024-05-08T12:38:06Z dg43tfdfdgfd