EAST LANSING, Mich. — Plants are sprouting, flowers are blooming and grass is growing thanks to the warmer weather and periodic rain showers. In East Lansing, some yards are higher than others, and Nichole Keway Biber is in no hurry to break out the lawn mower.
“I mean, me personally no, but my husband mows maybe three times in the course of a summer,” Biber said.
Biber is on the East Lansing Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission and suggested the city participate in No Mow May last year.
“I was like, 'let's do No Mow May,'" Biber said. "They want to plan events, so understood, and so we partnered with the environmental commission to think of a way forward and to have the signage and things like that.”
After City Council passed an ordinance earlier this year, the city is letting people grow their grass all month long.
“I think that the desire is there in a lot of our leadership that kind of oversee those public lands," Biber said. "Just individual people and neighborhoods, we’re the next step, and we're a really important one.”
Biber said the lack of mowing helps native plants grow.
“There's lots of little yellow flowers that are the wild strawberry, and so those are all native species," Biber said. "As everyone has noticed, I'm sure, there's the dandelions, but they don't make me mad. We'll kind of cook with the petals now and again.”
But the ones who benefit the most are nature's friends.
“We have a little robin nest right up there, and my children got to watch the eggs, and then, the day they hatched, and it's just nice when you give a place for those relatives how they they still will show up, and it's quality of life to me,” Biber said.
While we're well into the month of May, Biber said it's never to late to join the trend.
“I think give it a try, you know, and experience the freedom of not worrying about it for a few weeks,” Biber said.
Even when it hits June and the six inch height restriction goes back into place, there's always a way to help.
“It doesn't count for garden beds," Biber said. "People can have like, imagine you just did a six foot diameter of a circular pollinator habitat garden, but you're allowed to do that. Gives you a little less to mow, save some gas, save some time.”
During No Mow May, the city asks those participating to keep the weeds maintained and keep grass off of sidewalks to ensure people are visible to drivers.
More information on No Mow May in East Lansing can be found here.
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