What I liked about the book I mentioned in my previous post was the idea of "filling in the gaps" of what's missing in a neighbourhood that's helpful to wildlife. Such a simple concept but something I had honestly never thought of before! So if someone already has a large pond, someone else could make a stumpery, log or brash pile. If someone is mainly focussed on plants for bees, try butterfly-friendly plants instead. I think that could be an idea worth pursuing, considering things like how small some gardens are, people feeling overwhelmed in terms of trying to 'cover' everything, neighbours getting together and seeing the diversity of different animals they're recording in their gardens.
People have been encouraged to leave wildy areas to try and help reverse wildlife collapse and it hasn't worked. After May, many people will keep their grass long and start to experiment.
It's encouraging to note how many people have suddenly become interested in/aware of their outdoor space - or at least those who are lucky enough to have one - since Lockdown. However, as things return to normal (or so we are led to believe) , it's worth remembering that as people go back to work, do more socialising, etc., their interest may either wane or they find their leisure hours becoming less. I imagine most working people, if they have grass/lawn try to keep on top of of it by regular mowing so the No Mow May wouldn't particularly suit their lifestyle. Same applies with those who only have a small area to play with - borders planted with insect friendly plants will be more useful than leaving a small area of grass to overgrow and then having to deal with it. Teaching us basic knowledge of natural habitats and how we can help improve them would be far more beneficial overall to my way of thinking. As has already been mentioned on this thread, if you let the grass grow for the month of May, wildlife of all sorts take advantage - Whoopee they say - then along comes the gardener and it's not so much Whoopee as Whoops ! Frogs, Toads, Slow worms, Hedgehogs, maybe even caterpillars are then deprived of what they thought was an ideal home. Either grow long and leave until much later or keep mowing and make use of any soil borders you may have,
Not a waste of time at all. It gives a clear example of 'before' and 'after'. It gives media profile and a case to discuss. It gives visuals and turns up on sites like this forum. It offers a successful status quo: "the site was working well, why did you wreck it?" Without trying, you have only nice, theoretical ideas to knock about. But if locals see what a thriving wildflower meadow looks like, if they have walked in it and heard it buzzing, they are much more likely to support and defend it than if they read about fluffy perspectives in a book.
Do not doubt that wildlife regeneration is long haul campaign. It's not about one spring or one site but about long term, permanent change of policy, hearts and minds.
@Fire How wonderful and hopefully they will keep that area long for longer and allowed the flower to set seed.
Oh, Brian is a total covert and is plotting wild flower meadows all over the place.
He has been amazed by the sheer volume of excited insect life - it's like they have a new garden. They are putting in wild life ponds and dead hedges - a new beginning.
Some friends have left parts of their garden unmowed whilst cutting other areas and paths. They have now found an orchid (pyramidal) growing in one of the unmowed areas. They had previously cut this area over 35 years. So where did the plant come from? Still in the soil and dormant? Seeds so light they travelled in the wind from somewhere else? Interesting.
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However, as things return to normal (or so we are led to believe) , it's worth remembering that as people go back to work, do more socialising, etc., their interest may either wane or they find their leisure hours becoming less. I imagine most working people, if they have grass/lawn try to keep on top of of it by regular mowing so the No Mow May wouldn't particularly suit their lifestyle. Same applies with those who only have a small area to play with - borders planted with insect friendly plants will be more useful than leaving a small area of grass to overgrow and then having to deal with it.
Teaching us basic knowledge of natural habitats and how we can help improve them would be far more beneficial overall to my way of thinking.
As has already been mentioned on this thread, if you let the grass grow for the month of May, wildlife of all sorts take advantage - Whoopee they say - then along comes the gardener and it's not so much Whoopee as Whoops ! Frogs, Toads, Slow worms, Hedgehogs, maybe even caterpillars are then deprived of what they thought was an ideal home.
Either grow long and leave until much later or keep mowing and make use of any soil borders you may have,
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”