please don't mow sign amongst buttercups in a meadow

Social Farms & Gardens, the charity supporting communities to farm, garden and grow together, is working with Gwynedd Council to support communities in the management of verges and other public green spaces (such as parts of community centre grounds or parks) as meadow habitat. The aim of this is to empower communities to take control of their public green spaces so they are better connected for nature and people. 

You may have noticed these new signs dotted around community areas or verges in Gwynedd, they read ‘Please don’t mow. Let us grow.’ The Spring of 2020 saw 56% fewer dandelion flowers and 40% fewer daisy flowers than previous years with artificial grass and perfectly preened lawns added to the mix, we need to do everything we can to protect our wildlife. #NoGrowMay, #UpToYourThighJuly, what next?!

Naturalist and television presenter, Iolo Williams joined the hosts of people subscribing to the #NoMowMay revolution this year. Stating:

"No Mow May’ and ‘Let it bloom June’ certainly worked wonders for my lawn."

With the knapweed still to flower, that’s food for pollinators from early spring to autumn."

Abstaining from mowing your lawn between the months of May – August can support 2.1 million - or around 60,000 hives - of honeybees.

Now is a perfect time to get involved in our Resilient Green Spaces, Greener Spaces & Corridors project to look after and improve meadow habitats in public green spaces. Working in partnership with Gwynedd Council, Social Farms & Gardens empower communities to take control of their public green spaces so they are better connected for nature and people. 

Sarah Collick, North Wales Development worker for Social Farms & Gardens said,

"These signs are a great reminder of the great work that we are doing with different groups and organisations in Gwynedd. They also serve as a catylist for others to join in and help protect and enhance our green spaces for wildlife to flourish."

If you have access to a park, cemetery, large verge or other green space and you’d like to help wildflowers and pollinators flourish, get in touch today: hywynwilliams@gwynedd.llyw.cymru / sarah@farmgarden.org.uk . 

Or visit our website for more information.

Resilient Green Spaces is a partnership project being led by Social Farms & Gardens to pilot alternative re-localised food systems using communities and their green spaces as a driving force for change across Wales until June 2023.  The project is funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Union.