The Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) is on a mission to protect pollinators in EG. The Bee a Pollinator Protector campaign will include monthly tips to help residents promote habitats for pollinators throughout the growing season.

No Mow May is an option to help support pollinators during spring as they look for their first food sources of the season (normally dandelions or other weeds/flowers), places to hide, and protection from night-time frost. Having longer grass, or leaves, around your yard gives them a safe place to shelter. 

The goal of this initiative is to prevent the disturbance of overwintering insects and amphibians that may be burrowed or hiding in leaves and lawns and to increase food sources for pollinators. Unseasonably warm temperatures may lure them out of hiding and they need a place to retreat to. 

You can help pollinators by:

  • Avoid or reduce mowing lawns until June,
  • Mow at the highest setting,
  • Leave the cut grass on the soil to provide a layer of protection and natural fertilizer as the grass degrades,
  • Leave a portion of the lawn unmown, it can be a section of your front yard, a corner of your backyard, a strip, etc.,
  • Leave a fine layer of leaves on the soil to serve as shelter for insects and amphibians,
  • Plant native flowers,

Our goal is to promote conversations about biodiversity protection and how small actions can make a difference.

The Town and the EAC would like to continue learning and engaging with the community to consider initiatives to promote and enhance habitats for pollinators and healthy ecosystems for all residents. We encourage residents to look at Pollinator and Native Plant Gardening Resources to see a full list of ways to help feed the bees!

The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a similar initiative underway. You can also learn more about the David Suzuki Foundation Butterfly Way initiative, here. 

How can you participate?

To register for the challenge, please complete the online form. Those who donate minimum of $20 will be entered into a draw and receive a lawn sign to show your neighbours to bee a pollinator protector. All donations will go to the David Suzuki Foundation Butterfly Way. 

Once registered, you can pick up your sign in Customer Service Desk at the Civic Centre during regular business hours. Please return signs to Customer Service at the Civic Centre by the end of June.

Residents with mobility issues can request to have signs delivered to their home by emailing the Environment team.

Prize

Participants who donate a minimum of $20 using the online form will be automatically entered into a draw for a gift basket from Queensville Farm Supply and Country Store, valued at $150. You are asked to submit a photo of the action taken and by the end of the season the Committee will draw a winner.

How to manage grass clippings during No Mow May
Grass clippings are banned at the Regional yard waste facility as well as for our curbside collection program.

Tips on how to manage grass clippings through the No Mow May event:

  1. For the first cut in June, raise your mower to it’s highest setting.
  2. Over the next few cuts, gradually lower your mower deck to your desired height.
  3. The ideal height is 2 ½ inches.
  4. Mulching grass clippings is a great way to help conserve water
  5. Dry (and brown) grass clippings can be collected and composted in your backyard home composter.
Invasive Plant Species

If you have invasive plants, we have tips to help remove them once and for all from your garden.

Focus on removing satellite populations or limiting plants before they start to dominate large areas.

Great care must be taken when disposing of invasive plants because some species can regenerate and/or colonize new areas from a single piece of rhizome, root stock, seed, or above ground vegetation.

Disposal of all invasive species should be done by:

  • Placing all plant material in heavy duty, construction grade black garbage bags. Seal the bags tightly, and cover any holes in the bag (e.g. with tape). When bagging root material, minimize the amount of soil being disposed of.
  • Garbage bags with plant material may be left in direct sunlight for a week or longer, to help kill plant material.
  • Care should be taken to not rip or otherwise put holes in the garbage bags so that the plant material remains contained.
  • Garbage bags with invasive species should be disposed through the local collection general garbage system.
  • Please note that invasive species can easily spread, they should not be composted.

Learn more about invasive species on the Ontario Parks website or the Ontario Invasive Plants website.

Please note that some plants (e.g. hogweed) need special treatment to avoid harm. If you are unsure of how to manage them, please visit the Species list at the Ontario Invasive Plant Council for detailed information.

Other Ways to Participate/What you can do after May?

Whether you can participate in No Mow May or not, you can help pollinators throughout the spring and summer by:

  1. Planting a pollinator garden. Choose a variety of native flowering plants, such as Asters, Bee Balm, Milkweed and Coneflowers, with varying bloom times that last from spring until fall in order to provide food sources all season long.
  2. Choose a section of your lawn that can remain uncut all summer long.
  3. Decrease mowing frequency throughout the mowing season. Let your lawn grow a little longer than normal, ideally mowing only once or twice per month.
  4. Mow at the highest setting. This allows low lying flowers to continue to grow and decreases re-flower time for those that are mown.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a similar initiative underway. You can also learn more about the David Suzuki Foundation Butterfly Way initiative, here.