(Radio Iowa) – Cold, wet weather is keeping many Iowans from mowing their lawns, but some are swearing off the chore for the entire month as a way to help out tiny yet vital pollinators. Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green is leading by example through taking part in No Mow May as bees emerge from dormancy and need flowering plants as crucial foraging habitats — even though he was scared of getting stung as a kid. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see just how critical they are to our food chain and for providing pollination for crops and being that linchpin of our food supply,” Green says. “So, as mayor, I’m really excited that I have this opportunity to educate other residents and hopefully get them excited about bees and butterflies and other pollinators.”

Cedar Falls residents are encouraged to limit or skip their lawn mowing during May, and the city council voted to not enforce the ordinance requiring eight-inch tall grass and weeds to be cut for the month. In his proclamation, Mayor Green calls No Mow May a “community science initiative.” “This gives us the opportunity to bring in schools and families and to help them build up a monitoring program in their own yards,” Green says, “and hopefully get kids excited about doing research. I would love to see kids out, counting the number of bees per square yard on a given day and reporting that out.”

Iowans who take pride in their landscaping may be slow to come around to the idea, and Green admits he was initially hesitant to get onboard. He says it took a mind shift. “I hate dandelions and so having been one who would have the yard herbicided and just make it as pristine as possible like a golf course,” Green says. “It’s just taken me some time to realize that that kind of approach to lawn care is damaging to the environment.”

City residents are encouraged to register their intent -not- to mow as well as the size of their yards. Some are posting signs to let neighbors know, they’re not being lazy, they’re helping promote pollinator-critical habitat.