West Quebec municipality urging residents to delay mowing lawns to help pollinators

An undated image of dandelions. (File)

Residents who live in western Quebec are being asked to hold off on mowing their lawns this spring to help pollinating insects.

The MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais and its municipalities—Cantley, Chelsea, L’Ange-Gardien, La Pêche, Pontiac, and Val-des-Monts—are letting their spring lawns grow and bloom for the third year in a row.

The “no mow” challenge is part of the municipality’s goals of adapting to climate change.

“This simple but significant gesture aims to provide pollinating insects—particularly wild bees and butterflies—with increased access to nectar and pollen, essential for their survival,” the municipality said in a news release, originally in French. “By protecting pollinators, we actively contribute to the health of our ecosystems and our food security: one-third of what we eat depends directly on pollination, largely provided by bees.”

The local government is also participating by delaying grass cutting around municipal buildings in the region.

“By delaying mowing, every citizen can contribute to preserving biodiversity, an accessible gesture with tangible results. A small gesture for you, a big support for them,” the MRC said.

The municipality says residents can obtain posters to inform neighbours they’re not being lazy by not mowing the lawn, they’re giving nature a helping hand.

The annual event, also known as the “Dandelion Challenge”, was started by a pair of Quebec beekeepers.

The challenge comes at a critical time for pollinating insects. A new report co-authored by a Canadian researcher warns that more than one-fifth of pollinator species it studied in North America are at risk of extinction.

With files from The Canadian Press