Please note that the first session of this course will take place via Zoom; all others will be field trips. The course syllabus will provide further info.

There is a national movement called “No Mow May” that encourages people to reduce the mowing of lawns and to let nature take its course. It’s a great idea, and hopefully we can keep the no-mow methods going well past May. There is too much mowing of our meadows and lawns, creating biological deserts.

People like to have a clean yard for prestige, protection, and play. The alternatives are sometimes messy, but they can also be complex grass and wildflower meadows. Weeds are allowed.

This course will explore the many ways to reduce or eliminate regular mowing. We will explore different mowing techniques, long and short rotations, equipment and patterns, and plant adaptations to mowing and grazing. A well-managed meadow should be able to function as a diverse ecosystem. We will also learn how to identify the most common plants in meadows, and the common birds, insects and small mammals that use wild grasslands. Wildflowers and native plants should be encouraged or introduced to benefit pollinators.

There will be an initial Zoom class, and then weekly field trips to local meadows. Guest naturalists and land managers will help us understand their approaches to vegetation management.