No Mow May

Bees are facing catastrophic declines. In North America, one in four native bees is imperiled, in part due to habitat loss. To help save bees, residents are stowing their mowers for the month of May. This allows “lawn weeds” to flower, providing important spring food for bees emerging from hibernation. The “No Mow May” movement first began in Britain where it was touted to increase the number of bees in yards tenfold. In 2020, two professors from Lawrence University brought the movement to Appleton, Wisconsin. By 2021, it had spread throughout the United States.

This story was published by the New York Times, Sierra Magazine, and Better Homes & Gardens; reviewed by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner in Steady; reprinted by the Good News Network; and formed the basis for a New York Times Lesson Plan for children. Photos from this story have also been published by the Isthmus.