No Mow May

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Consultation has concluded

No Mow May displayed in Oak Parl at Lombard Ave. and Randolph St.

No Mow May, a national program from Bee City USA, encourages communities to let their lawns grow during the month of May. By leaving lawns unmowed, plants like clover and blue violets can flower - providing food for bees and other pollinator insects at a crucial time of year when flowers are few. Today, up to 40% of pollinator species on earth may be at risk of extinction.

Climate Ready Oak Park, our community climate and sustainability plan, includes a goal to "Protect and Enhance Biodiversity." Protecting bees is an important biodiversity action because bees are valuable pollinators for native plants. Bees are also necessary for healthy, sustainable, and affordable food. According to USDA, honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year. Added benefits of No Mow May include eliminating the noise and air pollution of gas-powered lawn mowers. Check out https://beecityusa.org/no-mow-may/ for more information.

The Village of Oak Park has created two demonstration areas for No Mow May. The Village will not mow the grassy knoll at the south end of Village Hall, or the parkway on Randolph St. between Lombard Ave. and Harvey Ave. We hope that community members will check out the areas during May and let us know what you think by taking the survey at this page.

Please note that the Village is NOT encouraging residents to participate in No Mow May in 2023. In order to create a community-wide program, the Village would need to amend the ordinance "Illegal to Allow Growth of Weeds," which restricts grass height to eight (8) inches. Your feedback will help inform the Village's future policy decision. Based on community input, No Mow May could be implemented across Oak Park in 2024.

Registration on EngageOakPark.com is free and requires only a username, email address and zip code. This one-time registration allows users to participate and contribute on all current and future EngageOakPark.com projects. If you haven't done so, please take a moment to click here and register to join our online community.

No Mow May, a national program from Bee City USA, encourages communities to let their lawns grow during the month of May. By leaving lawns unmowed, plants like clover and blue violets can flower - providing food for bees and other pollinator insects at a crucial time of year when flowers are few. Today, up to 40% of pollinator species on earth may be at risk of extinction.

Climate Ready Oak Park, our community climate and sustainability plan, includes a goal to "Protect and Enhance Biodiversity." Protecting bees is an important biodiversity action because bees are valuable pollinators for native plants. Bees are also necessary for healthy, sustainable, and affordable food. According to USDA, honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year. Added benefits of No Mow May include eliminating the noise and air pollution of gas-powered lawn mowers. Check out https://beecityusa.org/no-mow-may/ for more information.

The Village of Oak Park has created two demonstration areas for No Mow May. The Village will not mow the grassy knoll at the south end of Village Hall, or the parkway on Randolph St. between Lombard Ave. and Harvey Ave. We hope that community members will check out the areas during May and let us know what you think by taking the survey at this page.

Please note that the Village is NOT encouraging residents to participate in No Mow May in 2023. In order to create a community-wide program, the Village would need to amend the ordinance "Illegal to Allow Growth of Weeds," which restricts grass height to eight (8) inches. Your feedback will help inform the Village's future policy decision. Based on community input, No Mow May could be implemented across Oak Park in 2024.

Registration on EngageOakPark.com is free and requires only a username, email address and zip code. This one-time registration allows users to participate and contribute on all current and future EngageOakPark.com projects. If you haven't done so, please take a moment to click here and register to join our online community.

Consultation has concluded

Submit your questions directly to the Village of Oak Park's Office of Sustainability.