PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release 4/16/24
Sustainable Saratoga kicks off NO MOW MAY campaign
Media Contact: Paul Murphy, pfxmurphy@gmail.com; or Beth Plummer, beth@sustainablesaratoga.org
Sustainable Saratoga announces NO MOW MAY, joining the nation-wide effort to encourage all homeowners, farmers, municipalities, highway departments and businesses to rest their lawnmowers through the end of May to help our highly at-risk pollinators.
Populations of pollinators and insects are being impacted the globe. Pesticides and habitat loss are the primary killers of these vital insects who pollinate 70 of 100 USA major crops. In 2021, 45% of bee colonies in the US were lost. Since 1998, 88% of Monarch Butterflies disappeared in the Eastern US and 95% of Monarchs have perished in the Western US.
Paul Murphy, Chair of Sustainable Saratoga’s Pollinator Committee, says about NO MOW MAY, “Our Earth’s pollinators and all insects are fighting for their very existence. Pesticides and habitat loss are the primary killers of these vital insects. NO MOW MAY is a Fundamental Assist for the Bees enabled by not cutting the pollen portals of the Clover, Violets, and Dandelions in May. The Net truth is: If you do not cut these wildflowers that appear in lawn acreage in the Spring, pollinators will leverage this pollen source to gain strength and nourishment during the tough May transition period.
We can all help increase pollinator populations by keeping mowers in garages and sheds and letting our lawns go natural through the end of May. This will allow the bees, moths, butterflies, and other pollinators to safely exit their winter ground homes and find the only nectar nourishment available during late April and early May.”
Across the country, communities who launched NO MOW MAY have experienced nice increases in bee and butterfly populations (5x more bees and 3x more bee species) just by delaying spring mowing and lawn treatments through the end of May.
To help spread the word, Sustainable Saratoga has NO MOW MAY lawn signs available for people to place on their yard announcing support of the effort. Signs come with a $10 requested donation and will be available at pick-up locations in Saratoga Springs and Stillwater. Signs can be purchased online by following this link or by emailing pollinators@sustainablesaratoga.org. Pick up only; signs cannot be shipped.
Sustainable Saratoga | PO Box 454, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 | www.sustainablesaratoga.org
For more about NO MOW MAY, visit https://sustainablesaratoga.org/no-mow-may/
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.
