SPRING IS HERE and it is time to help our Pollinators that are critical to ensuring biodiversity in our environment. There have been declines in bee and other pollinator populations in Illinois and the region. Pollinators are critical to supporting native plants and our agricultural food crops.
The Village of Riverside has a history of celebrating the natural world. In harmony with this, the Landscape Advisory Commission (LAC) is encouraging residents to plant spring blooming native plants and to adopt the concept of “No Mow May”. No Mow May focuses on letting pollinating plants grow to give active pollinators, especially bees, an early source of food. This concept is in use in the nearby communities of Countryside and Glenview, IL, Appleton and Madison WI, and Ann Arbor MI.
While there is currently an ordinance in place to keep lawns under eight inches tall, the Riverside Village Board voted to suspend enforcement of the ordinance for a No Mow May trial period from May 1-May 14, 2023. If your lawn is treated with herbicides or pesticides, participating in this program will not be beneficial.
Several research studies show the benefits of reduced mowing. You can read the summaries here: https://beecityusa.org/reduced-mowing-studies/