How keeping your lawn mower in the shed another month can help the environment

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking Prince Edward Islanders to wait until June before they get out their lawn mowers.

It's called No-Mow May, and it's way to provide a boost to the environment in your own backyard.

"Holding off on spring mowing can improve habitat for insects and birds in our backyards. When we think of nature we often feel that we have to go to a local green space or forests or river, lake stream, beach," saidAndrew Holland of Nature Conservancy Canada.

"But nature's actually in our own yards, so we need to sort of rethink these things."

Communities across Canada are signing on to No-Mow May, said Holland, waiving bylaws that require mowing for the month, or even providing grants to people that want to grow pollinator lawns.

"Lawns are home for beetles and insects and worms and they attract birds and they feed on these insects," said Holland.

"It's an important food source for them."

Holland also encouraged people to consider letting a section of their property go wild for the whole summer, and perhaps investigate planting native species to further encourage biodiversity in your little patch of ground.

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