MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsinite credited with helping to push the initiative “No Mow May” — a month-long push to let grasses grow to help support pollinators coming out of hibernation — continues to gain momentum, with communities like La Crosse giving residents the green-light to join in.

“No Mow May really started here in the U.S. back in 2020 during the big pandemic here,” said Israel Del Toro, an assistant professor of biology at Lawrence University in Appleton. “We wanted people to get outside and enjoy the biodiversity in their backyards. By not mowing our lawns in the month of May, we’re allowing early-emerging plant species like dandelions and mints and violets to come to bloom to help those early-emerging pollinators.”

Del Toro adds that there are plenty of ways to help pollinators in Wisconsin all year long, regardless of whether or not one’s able to join in on the initiative next month.

“One of the big things we ask you to do is just decrease your mowing frequency,” Del Toro said. “Instead of mowing every week, considering mowing every two or every three weeks.”

Watch the full interview above.