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Nabu Revives ‘Mähfreier Mai’ Push, Urging Gardeners to Park the Mower

The push treats private yards as fast habitat for pollinators that feed nesting birds.

Overview

  • Nabu’s “Mähfreier Mai” drive, which local chapters renewed Friday and Saturday, now has public bodies like Landkreis Northeim asking residents to let lawns grow through May.
  • Letting grass stand creates blooms and cover for insects that feed garden birds during breeding season, and the taller turf also needs less watering and upkeep.
  • Nabu’s how-to is simple: keep paths and edges short, let the main lawn grow into a wild meadow, set out water dishes and leaf piles, and choose native shrubs instead of thuja, cherry laurel or forsythia.
  • The group urges climate‑proofing yards by pulling up stone or gravel that seals soil and by planting trees and hedges that add shade and help the ground hold moisture.
  • The campaign dovetails with the national “Stunde der Gartenvögel” bird count, which runs May 8–10 and invites people to record species visiting their gardens.