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Analysis: No Mow May allows native plants to recover and provide ecosystem support for other plants, pollinators and nature

The No Mow May movement was initially started by Plantlife, an international conservation charity based in the UK working towards the protection and restoration of plants and fungi. The need for such a movement was clear; there has been a 97% decline in wildflower meadows in the UK since the 1930s. While long-term figures in Ireland are harder to come by, the trend has undoubtedly been similar.

The idea is simple: you leave your lawn to go 'wild' during the month of May, it provides an opportunity for native plants to recover and establish themselves, which then provides ecosystem support for other plants, pollinators, and nature.

Why is No Mow May needed in Ireland?

There are 212 species of vascular plants that make up Ireland’s Red-Listed Taxa, which are the species of highest conservation concern. This equates to 20% of our native plant species. Moreover, recent research has identified that several of these plant species are faced with extinction due to climate change. This clearly demonstrates the pressing need for initiatives such as No Mow May to establish new communities of native wildflowers and provide refuges for these at-risk species.

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With the decline in wildflower meadows, we have inevitably seen a loss in many of the species that are dependent on them, such as bees, butterflies, and insects. Pollinators, such as bees are in decline globally, with approximately a third of Irish bee species at risk of extinction. The Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme has also identified an overall decline of 57% in the number of butterflies from 2008 to 2022.

A recent Environmental Protection Agency report calculated that animal pollination is worth an estimated €59 million per year to the food production industry. This highlights how the provision of space for nature through movements such as No Mow May and the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021-2025 has a significant benefit throughout society.

Does No Mow May have an impact?

The No Mow May movement was launched in 2019, so it is perhaps a bit too early to definitively state its impact. However, there does appear to be an increase in the numbers of many native plants, particularly the dandelion. This is important as they are one of the best food sources for our native pollinators. As well as providing endless entertainment to children, the dandelion seed head also has significant benefits to some of our bird species, primarily as a food source.

Goldfinch numbers, particularly in urban areas, have increased in recent years, and bullfinches were recorded in almost 10% more gardens in the UK last year during the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. While there are undoubtedly other factors that are supporting their growth, our tolerance of dandelions increases the availability of their natural food sources, which certainly helps.

It's even harder to quantify the impact of No Mow May on pollinators, particularly given the devastating impact that Storm Emma (remember the Beast from the East?) had on insect populations in March 2018. One winner appears to be the Cinnabar Moth, which feeds almost exclusively on ragwort, a common plant that is now thriving again.

Other species which appear to have stabilised in the short-term, include the Meadow Brown and Small Heath butterflies both currently above long-term trend decline estimates. Both species in their larvae and caterpillar phases feed on grass, and May is the month that Small Heath begin to pupate on grass blades, while Meadow Brown pupates at the start of June. Leaving lawns to grow for the month of May (and possibly further) means that their habitat is allowed to flourish, and is not continuously destroyed during their ‘invisible’ lifecycle stage. It also raises my next question.

What about the other 11 months?

Any movement hoping to gain traction needs a clear message and often a catchy phrase. No Mow May delivers on that front. But considering the complex lifecycle of many of our pollinators, particularly butterflies and moths, should we be leaving our lawns unmown earlier or even later?

If lawns are constantly cut throughout the year, the larvae, caterpillars, and cocoons of these insects will be destroyed, meaning the pollinators never reach it to the final stage of their life cycle. Moreover, these pollinators play an important role in the wider ecosystem, as food for several of our resident and migrant bird species.

Another recent EPA report identified that migrant birds, such as barn swallows and warblers, are arriving here earlier on average each year, sometimes as early as March. This is before the emergence of many insects, caterpillars, and moths which can result in a lack of food for these birds, impacting their fitness and capacity to breed.

No Mow April does not quite roll off the tongue so elegantly, but it raises an important point. The aims of other monthly initiatives, such as Veganuary (not eating meat in January), Go Sober for October (no alcohol in October), or Movember (grow a moustache in November to raise awareness for men’s health) are aimed at supporting long-term changes in lifestyle and health. Just as you would not be encouraged to drink your monthly alcohol intake on November 1st, or eat a triple-decker burger on February 1st, neither do you have to cut the lawn on June 1st.

The use of green space to support other important considerations such as physical activity, mental wellbeing, and socialisation is obviously of paramount importance. But even maintaining a small area of unmown lawn all year round can have substantial positive impacts to the local biodiversity. To borrow a well-known seasonal phrase from the Dog's Trust, a lawn is for life and not just for May.

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