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Scaynes Hill Village
The power of the uncut lawn
Wildlife In Scaynes Hill (WISH)
04 Apr 2021 Posted by Mike Lavelle
The Scaynes Hill Sustainability Group is asking you to participate in a small project this summer. We are asking everyone who has a lawn to stop mowing some or all of it for the rest of the summer. By doing this, we are hoping to increase the number of wildflowers and insects in the area.
Insect numbers have decreased dramatically in the past few years in the UK, and this is having a serious effect on the environment, in terms of pollination and the general balance of nature. By stopping mowing the lawn, you will encourage the grasses to grow and form seed heads, and there will almost certainly be dormant wildflower seeds in the ground that will be able to germinate, thus attracting insects. You do not have to stop mowing the whole lawn if you don't want to; just choose an area. To keep it looking smart, it helps to mow around the edge of the un-mown grass, and even mow a path through it.
To take part in the project please:
- Measure the area of unmown lawn. You can do this by pacing out the sides. One large adult stride is approximately 1 metre.
- Email the figure, in square metres, to uncutlawns2021@gmail.com including your postcode, so that we can make a map of the location of the participants at the end of the year.
- Send photos of wildflowers or insects that appear as a result of this. Thank you!
