LET YOUR GRASS GROW – HELP OUR POLLINATORS

Let your grass grow and help wild flowers set seeds across Carmarthenshire.

That’s the plea from the Carmarthenshire Biodiversity Partnership which is urging people to set aside a small area for wildlife.

Biodiversity Officer Isabel Macho said: “Well-managed lawns and grassy areas are a familiar sight and great for relaxing, playing games and picnics.

“However, regularly mown grass is not great for wildlife as plants do not get a chance to flower and set seed.”

Insects such as bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies help lots of plants set seed by helping with pollination.

Along with pollinating food crops, they help maintain the variety of plant species, habitats and wildlife in Wales.

For that help they get a share of the nectar the flower produces, however many of these pollinators are now under threat.

Loss of habitat and plants to feed on are two of the main problems facing pollinators.

To help wildlife people don’t have to lose their lawns. Simple steps, such as providing areas of grass of different heights, changing the number of times they mow the grass and adjusting the height of the mower blade will all help.

It doesn’t have to be the whole lawn – just leaving small areas can help. Reducing the use of fertilisers and herbicides will also lend a hand.

The Carmarthenshire Biodiversity Partnership is asking people to set aside a small area of lawn or grass that they manage at home or as part of school grounds, cemeteries, public buildings, play areas or around their business.

Ms Macho added: “As an experiment why not mark out a one metre square of lawn and let the grass grow and flower – it can be fascinating to see the range of insect life that will live in your mini meadow.

“Listen for grasshoppers, watch for bees and count the butterflies. Daisies, dandelions and clover, which often spring up if grass is left to grow, are all important for pollinators.

“Dandelions flower from very early in the year, just as bees are emerging and then daisies take over and flower to late summer. By leaving small areas of grass to grow everyone can help pollinators.”

Keep a record of how many plants and creatures settle in and send the information and photographs with your house name or number and postcode to: Biodiversity@carmarthenshire.gov.uk to map the mini meadows.