Happy Nice Mall

As I drove through Appleton, Wis. last May, the small town presented me with a series of idyllic scenes: children playing in the tree-lined streets, couples walking their dogs, and the wind, meanwhile, carrying the sweetness of spring.

But there was something unusual here. The lawns of most of the houses were wild. They carried tall grasses, bright yellow dandelions, and purple carpets, resembling miniature meadows. Creeping Charlie — far from traditional American grass.

These homes were not abandoned or neglected, and there were no piles of newspapers adorning their porches. Instead, he asked residents to remove their lawnmowers for the month of May. This allowed plants typically described as weeds to bloom, including violets, white clover, and dandelions.

Appleton’s No Mow May initiative had a clear purpose: to save bees – and not only to save honeybees (imported from Europe), but also native bees such as bumblebees, mine bees and sweat bees.

Bees face catastrophic declines. in North America, almost one in four native bee species is endangeredAccording to the Center for Biodiversity, it’s partly due to habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and urbanization.

Lawns typically provide a poor habitat for bees. But if allowed to bloom, turf grasses, perhaps better characterized as non-grass plants, could provide rare spring food for bees coming out of hibernation.

Appleton is a small college town located on the banks of the meandering Fox River about 200 miles north of Chicago. Two assistant professors at a local liberal arts college, Israel Del Toro and Dr. Relena Ribbons Lawrence University knew that No Mow May was popular in England. They wondered if the venture would take root here as well.

They began working with the Appleton Joint Council, and in 2020 Appleton became the first city in the United States to adopt No Mow May, with 435 homes signing up to attend.

Dr. Del Toro and Dr. Ribbons studied the effects of No Mow May on Appleton bees. No Mow May grass five times the number of bees and three times the number of bees more than mown parks. Armed with this information, they asked other communities to join.

By 2021, a dozen communities across Wisconsin had adopted No Mow May. It has also spread to communities in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Montana.

I learned about No Mow May in the fall of 2020 when I wanted to make my own garden more suitable for bees. The following spring, I helped host No Mow May in Shorewood Hills, Wis., where I live. When I realized how quickly the movement was spreading, I started photographing it across Wisconsin.

Wis., Stevens Point mayor Mike Wiza supported No Mow May last year. “It’s been successful – and I’d say it’s been pretty successful,” he said. Stevens Point registered about 230 people for the event, which was double what they expected.

I met Stevens Point resident Ana Merchak while taking pictures in her neighborhood. Two young children were picking dandelions in the front yard. “I go to my front yard and my backyard and I see bees every day,” she said. “It’s great that my kids can grow up being exposed to it.”

Ms. Merchak was also grateful for how the initiative brought the locals together. “Community bonding is great,” she said, “especially after this pandemic year when we haven’t been able to do things and celebrate our community in person with each other.”

Not everyone appreciated the unmown lawn. Allison Roberts, who lives in Prairie du Chien, Wis., attended No Mow May, although she did not accept the city. A few weeks later, when she awoke from her slumber, she saw police officers pounding on her door.

“Looks like they’re here to make sure I don’t die,” he said.

His neighbors weren’t happy with his shaggy lawn either. One of them couldn’t bear to see it, and eventually mowed it without his permission.

Still, despite unexpected hostility, Ms. Roberts plans to rejoin No Mow May next year. “I’m not doing it to piss anyone off,” she explained. “I’m doing this because I have a right to it and it’s the right thing to do.”

Recently, the Appleton Joint Council voted to make No Mow May permanent. Many other municipalities in Wisconsin have either agreed or are considering it for 2022.

Efforts can yield results. The rusty patched wasp is a federally endangered species. The range has shrunk rapidly since the 1990sIt was first spotted at a downtown Appleton home last year.

However, experts point out that the initiative is only a starting point for bee conservation. Dr. “What you’ve been doing for a month is great, it helps,” Del Toro said. “But what are you going to do for the rest of the summer or the rest of the year to make sure our pollinators are protected?”

The role of urban and suburban environments for bees is “absolutely huge,” explains Dr. Del Toro said she received emails from Appleton residents asking how to incorporate other bee-friendly practices, such as planting local flowers and creating bee nesting habitats. and reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides.

“We have to start thinking about what our role is in this urban ecosystem,” he said, including how to strike a balance between development and biodiversity.

For many of us, that may mean sitting back and watching the grass grow.

Anne Readel is a photographer, writer, biologist, and lawyer. You can follow their work Instagram.