North East Somerset residents should stop mowing their lawns to help save the region’s bees and fight back against the climate emergency, West of England Mayor Dan Norris says. 

Mr Norris is backing No Mow May, urging locals to heed calls to leave the mower for at least a month to boost flowers and the insects that rely on them, including the West’s pollinator pals. 

Longer grass and flourishing meadows help to feed essential but struggling pollinators while becoming a haven for insects, birds and hedgehogs. 

Leaving the lawn will help build on the work of the Mayoral Combined Authority to make the region the bee and pollinator capital of the country. The regional Mayor pointed to his £1 million Pollinator Fund transforming over 620,000 square metres of land (double a target he set) to better serve this region’s pollinator heroes by funding 10 bee-rilliant bee projects in North East Somerset - including those led by Chew Valley School, and Forest of Avon Trust.

Mayor Dan Norris said: “Locking the mower away for a few extra weeks is so important – not least for our bee buddies who’ve struggled these last few years. 

“Doing so will help the work I’m doing at a regional level to support bees, damselflies and other pollinator superheroes. Think of projects like the transformation of Keynsham Memorial Ground into a pollinator’s paradise. Or how about planting 10 fruit trees around Pensford, or 10 mini nature reserves in primaries and secondaries across the West - including in Temple Cloud. "

No Mow May starts on Wednesday, May 1.