Wirral Council says it is doing its bit to support a national month-long initiative that promotes the welfare of bees, butterflies and the wider environment.

The ‘No Mow May’ campaign, which is led by the conservation charity Plantlife, encourages people to lock up their lawnmowers for the month of May and let wildflowers and other important pollinators shine through.

The council is playing its part by suspending grass cutting in large parts of its parks and open spaces, though areas that are dedicated to leisure activities will continue to be maintained as usual.

The aims of the ‘No Mow May’ campaign align closely with many aspects of Wirral Council’s long-term commitment to tackling the climate emergency locally, protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the area and prioritising nature-based solutions to the many of the challenges of climate change.

Residents are also being asked to play a part by not cutting their lawns – or at least giving up part of their gardens to nature for the course of the month.

In a complementary campaign, also led by Plantlife and called ‘Every Flower Counts’, between May 22 and May 31, people can count how many new flowers have grown in the area they have set aside for ‘No Mow May’, submit their findings online and see how many ‘nectar points’ they have generated as a result.

Plantlife will use those findings to compile a ‘top ten’ chart of the most common lawn flowers found in the UK.