Letting wildlife and biodiversity thrive this No Mow May!

Throughout May, Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Street Scene Team will carefully select areas around the district that will be left to grow in order to let nature take its course and provide wonderful biodiverse habitats for our district’s wealth of insects and wildlife.

First launched in 2019 by the botanical charity Plantlife, the No Mow May campaign encourages people to lock up their lawnmowers and let nature flourish for the month of May. The aim of the campaign is to let the grass grow and wildflowers bloom, in doing so providing a ‘nectar feast’ for pollinators such as honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies and moths, and beetles, and food for other creatures such as birds and small mammals.

Research from the campaign has previously shown that mowing your lawn less frequently can provide enough pollen and nectar for ten times the number of bees, butterflies and other pollinators and insects. The research also showed more than 200 species of plants, including rare meadow flowers, were found flowering within the grasses that were left to flourish.

Councillor Emma Oldham, Portfolio Holder for Biodiversity and Environmental Services at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “Year on year joining No Mow May helps to support our local environment and I can’t wait to see more of our green spaces and country parks blooming with wildflowers and buzzing with wildlife. Keep your eye out for beautiful wildflowers like daisies, buttercups, white clover, yellow rattle, and more!”

“This is a campaign anyone can join, and it is simple to do so; just give your lawnmower a rest for the month and let nature take its course! No matter the size of the space you leave to grow, all efforts collectively have a huge impact; a square meter of lawn left to flower can support three honeybees, and that could be in your own garden, a community garden, or a green area at your work or school!”

The District Council will be leaving selected sections of grass to grow in the following areas:

• Boughton Field, Boughton
• Bishops Drive Cemetery, Southwell
• Clay Lane, Newark
• Cleveland Square, Newark
• Collis Close, Newark
• Edgehill Drive, Newark
• Holy Rood Church Cemetery, Ossington
• Howes Court, Newark
• Marston Moor Road, Newark
• Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden, Newark
• Newbury Road, Newark
• Orchard Close, Bleasby
• Parfitt Drive, Farnsfield
• Rainworth Open Water, Rainworth
• Sconce and Devon Park, Newark
• Stanley Terrace Railway Walk, Newark
• St Marys Church Cemetery, Blidworth
• Thorpe Close, Coddington
• Thorpe Oaks, Coddington
• Vicar Water, Clipstone
• Winstanley Drive, Newark

The District Council is working in partnership with Newark Town Council to leave the following areas to bloom and grow:

• Barnby Road Play Area
• Friary Gardens
• John Pope Way
• Riverside Park

This means more areas of the district are being left to thrive as part of No Mow May than ever before! In addition, this year Nottinghamshire County Council is also taking part in the campaign and Via will be leaving verges along Beacon Hill Road and London Road, Balderton to grow for the month of May.

All the specified areas have been chosen in order to ensure there are still areas that remain mown so that residents can safely continue activities such as dog walking and children playing in maintained green spaces.

Watch a short video from Councillor Emma Oldham here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMDaCYrihQs