No Mow May blossoms in Minnesota

Americans have a love affair with lawns. A lush, weed-free lawn has taken center stage in American landscaping. Dandelions and an overgrown lawn are a seen as a sign of neglect, incompetence and laziness. Or so our culture would have you believe.

There is a growing movement to combat that stereotype, and for an environmental cause. No Mow May is a conservation initiative to allow grass to grow unmown for the month of May, creating habitat and forage for early season pollinators. Appleton, Wis., became the first city in the U.S. to suspend their weed ordinance last year. Now, the City of West St. Paul, Rochester, and Edina are the first cities in Minnesota to announce participation in No-Mow May. Lawrence University biology professor and pollinator enthusiast Israel Del Toro joined Cathy to explain the movement.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.