May is here and, if you haven't done so already, you'll almost certainly be thinking that it's time to mow the lawn. But Sir David Attenborough is asking you not to.
What's know as No Mow May asks people to delay cutting their grass to help wildlife flourish. The idea is backed by Sir David who, in his latest BBC series, made the plea to "delay mowing", reports YorkshireLive.
This is because insects and wildflowers use lawns to breed, pollinate and otherwise maintain a healthy ecosystem at this time of year, and shredding the grass down interferes with all that, killing off lots of insects that are an essential - and increasingly threatened - part of our ecosystem. If those insects die off, we all die off eventually.
Sir David Attenborough said on BBC's Wild Isles nature documentary about the UK: "Nowhere here is richer in wildflowers and insect pollinators than our traditional hay meadows. Sadly, in the last 60 years, we've lost 97% of this precious habitat.
"But with nature friendly farming, meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife. It's all about the timing. Delaying mowing until mid-July allows birds and insects to complete their breeding and flowers to set their seed."
No Mow May is an annual campaign across the UK which calls on all garden owners and green space managers not to mow their lawns or grass at all during May in a bid to give mother nature a much needed boost.
Plantlife, which supports the campaign, says: "A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground – and best of all, to reap these benefits all you have to do is not mow your lawn in May!
"With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate. This is why Plantlife is calling for people to get involved with #NoMowMay and let wild plants get a head start on the summer."
