Save Mow Till Earth Day

by: Jenny Kafas, volunteer for FTEC

This year's first plants are already starting to peek their heads out of the leaf litter. Spring is almost here, and the third annual Save the Mow Till Earth Day initiative is about to begin! 

The beginning of spring is an exciting time for plants and pollinators alike who are starting to awake from dormancy. This is also a critical time for both groups. Pollinators count on flowers being in bloom when they wake up for food after not eating for months, and plants count on pollinators being active for pollination so they can reproduce. Without blooming flowers, pollinators will soon die, and without our pollinators, early spring flowers will soon be extirpated (regionally extinct). The beginning of spring is such a sensitive time because most of the flowers in bloom are growing on land we typically mow. So... save the mow!  

‘Save the Mow Till Earth Day’ (SMTED) is our region-specific version of ‘No Mow May’, a campaign initiated in the Midwest where, ecologically speaking, spring happens later. Now, versions of No Mow May are popping up all around the world because lawn space is contributing greatly to the steep decline of biodiversity, a phenomenon that has been observed in just about every corner of our earth. This campaign was designed to mitigate the negative effects of lawn space on species that are active in early spring. 

Diverse ecosystems need high insect diversity, and insect diversity comes from plant diversity. This is because most insects are host specific, meaning that there are few or only one species of plants they can eat, which is a result of a shared evolutionary history. So, a landscape with a diversity of plants will have a diversity of insects. Having diversity at these levels makes plant and insect populations more stable, or in other words, less likely to decline. These groups are then able to better support the birds and mammals that rely on them for food. The problem with our lawns is that they support very little biodiversity (they only have one plant species!), and at the rate we are destroying ecologically rich spaces, we can no longer afford to lose this land.

Saving the mow is a great way to support plants and insects that are active at the very beginning of spring, a particularly vulnerable group, but the fact of the matter is after we start mowing our lawns, we are right back to not supporting our ecosystem very well. Saving the Mow Till Earth Day is imperative to vulnerable early spring flowers and insects, but the Franklin Township Environmental Commission also encourages you to reduce lawn space where you can. If there are areas of your yard that are seldom use, you should consider letting it go wild, growing a meadow, or starting a garden. 

For Save the Mow Till Earth Day, we ask that you: 

1. Do not apply weed killer from now on - this will save you time and money and allow beneficial plants to grow. No dandelion seeding is necessary, the fluffy parachutes will find their way into the lawn. Clover may need more time to develop and if homeowners can apply clover seeds, that would be even better. 
2. Designate a section of your lawn that is not used often for activities.
3. If you have an irrigation system, it is recommended to decrease the lawn watering as the native plants tend to do much better in low water conditions than cultivated grass. Saving water is always good and it saves money. 
4. When the season starts, do not mow until Earth Day, April 22. Depending on the condition of your lawn (max grass height 12”) and your personal schedule, you may choose to mow earlier or later. Not mowing during SMTED will save you time and if you are still using a gas mower, it will also save you money, potential headaches and long-term health effects from inhaling toxic fumes. 
5. Optional: Before your first mow, take 1-3 photos of your lawn and send them to the Franklin Twp Environmental Commission at environmental.commission@franklinnj.gov with SMTED in the subject. The best pictures will be displayed on official Franklin Twp Social Media pages. 

From previous years we know that by Earth Day, the grass had variable heights between 4 and 12 inches, mostly around 8”. The Franklin Township ordinance limits our grass height to 10” but rest assured that the ordinance regulating grass height will not be enforced until after April 29th. 

By saving the mow, you’ll allow yourself to see some of our most beautiful early spring life. Last year, our photo contest winner reported abundant native flowers such as violets, wild strawberries, and wood sorrel along with the insects that pollinate them like bumble bees and hoverflies. When you grow your lawn out be on the lookout for similar life! If you see something you don’t recognize, apps like iNaturalist are a great tool for identification. 

For a free Save the Mow Till Earth Day lawn sign contact the FTEC at environmental.commission@franklinnj.gov or email suzkafas@gmail.com. For more information visit franklintwpnj.org/savethemow.