Grass cutting equals pollinator loss

At BBT we are very concerned about the loss of pollinators, and we encourage people and local authorities to make oasis for butterflies as proposed by the association Zerynthia, that is to say, make gardens and plant flowers suitable for butterflies and other pollinators. But the truth is that we often have oasis, natural oasis, like this right in front of our eyes and we don’t appreciate them. One case iin mind is our roadsides. Most of the time here the grass on the middle of the road is cut down regardless of how many flowers there are. Last week, for example, the grass was cut on the B1-2121 road in Mungia, regardless of the flowers there.  In this case the chicory flower prevents further grass grass growth, does not hinder visibility, is nice to look at and is a very good flower for pollinators, so why not wait until the end of summer before cutting it? We have contacted the Provincial Council to ask them to reconsider their criteria for roadside grass cutting.

But it’s not just on the roadsides that this happens. The same is true of municipal grass areas and community-managed grassland areas. In the name of “tidiness”, flowers that are important for pollinators are also cut along with the grass. Habitat loss, the use of pesticides and the need for “tidiness” complicate the situation of pollinators, and pollinators are so necessary for our farmers. BBT demands a change to how we manage our green spaces.