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Let It Grow: These Michigan Cities All In For ‘No Mow May’

Making its return this month is “No Mow May.” This initiative aims to promote the health of bees and other pollinators in Michigan. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti’s city councils unanimously…

No Mow May
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Making its return this month is "No Mow May." This initiative aims to promote the health of bees and other pollinators in Michigan. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti's city councils unanimously voted to support the No Mow May initiative, which would allow residents to let their lawns grow between 6 to 12 inches this month.

The cities will suspend enforcement of local regulations mandating lawns be cut before they grow over a foot tall for the month of May. According to the resolution passed on May 2, the council is encouraging property owners to not cross the threshold of one foot.

What happens when No Mow May is over?

While some city council members are on board, others shared their concerns. "How do we recover from that when people have 18-inch grass in their yard, and as soon as May is over and they don't cut the grass it gets enforced?" Council Member Steve Wilcoxen asked as the resolution was discussed.

Wilcoxen said he was on board with the benefits for pollinators, but wondered if encouraging taller grass might result in more fossil fuel-related emissions when residents end up reining in lawns with power tools at the end of the month.

However, the city passed the No Mow May with a slight change from the previous year.

This year, Ann Arbor officials have reworked the No Mow May messaging with a "Pollinator-Aware Yard Care" campaign. It encourages property owners to adopt year-round practices to support native pollinators. This includes avoiding chemical lawn applications, leaving fall leaves on the ground, and reducing yard space dedicated to turf grass.

No Mow May stems from the popularization of it in the United Kingdom. Other parts of Washtenaw County have taken the same approach and have been sanctioned to some extent by Michigan cities like Ann ArborJacksonEast Lansing, and Royal Oak.

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.