Parks and green spaces across Newcastle will be transformed into wildflower havens for bees, butterflies and other pollinators this month as part of a campaign to boost biodiversity and encourage wild plants to thrive.
Newcastle City Council and Urban Green Newcastle, the charity which manages the city’s parks and allotments, are once again supporting conservation charity Plantlife's No Mow May.
The campaign calls for gardens and green spaces to not be mowed for the entire month so wildflowers can bloom and provide a nectar feast for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
These insects play a crucial role in the ecosystem, helping to pollinate plants, fruits and vegetables and ensure the environment is healthy and thrives.
To support the campaign, grass throughout 33 of the city’s parks managed by Urban Green Newcastle will be left to grow freely throughout May. Wildflower verges on paths and roads across the city will also not be cut.
Barbara Hooper, Director of Parks at Urban Green Newcastle, said: “Following feedback from our Urban Green Connect community engagement panel and from local communities in Newcastle, we will be celebrating No Mow May this year under the banner, ‘Let it Grow’; a title that captures our shared ambition to see more grassy areas in the city left free to grow longer for the benefit of nature and wildlife.
“By relaxing the grass cutting in Newcastle’s parks this May, we’re giving native species the chance to flourish and support the delicate ecosystems that exist in our green spaces.
“Let It Grow is about showing how our cities can provide a vital resource for our threatened wildlife. Wilder areas in our parks aren’t neglected or overgrown, they’re actually important nature sanctuaries that help pollinators, small mammals and their habitats to thrive.”
Cllr Marion Williams, Cabinet member for a Connected, Clean City at Newcastle City Council, said: “We’re proud to be supporting Let it Grow, Newcastle’s contribution to the No Mow May campaign, as it’s really important we do everything we can to boost biodiversity and help nature to thrive.
“A healthy lawn or verge with long grass and wildflowers is not only a valuable source of nectar for our bees and butterflies, but it also supports our efforts to tackle climate change.
“We’re committed to protecting and enhancing our green spaces and by not mowing lawns during May we can help make our city a greener and healthier place for our residents and wildlife.”
Urban Green Newcastle has been working with Urban Green Connect and students from Northumbria University to gather feedback from park users to improve mowing across the city’s parks.
The charity is also working with regional partners - including Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) - to monitor the value of unmown areas for wildlife.
As part of this year’s No Mow May campaign, visitors to the city’s parks can download an interactive ‘Let It Grow Bingo’ card from the Urban Green Newcastle website and seek out the different flowers and wildlife that will emerge during the month.
To ensure communities in Newcastle can continue to access their local green spaces and use the facilities on offer, certain areas will have mow-paths to keep pathways clear and accessible.
Sports pitches and play areas will also continue to be cut. Details can be found on the Urban Green Newcastle website – www.urbangreennewcastle.org/our-work/let-it-grow/
For more information on No Mow May and how you can get involved, visit https://plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay.
For more information about Let it Grow, visit www.urbangreennewcastle.org