If you’ve enjoyed using “No Mow May” as a way to justify not keeping up with your yard, that excuse may soon be blowing away. Many communities are ditching “No Mow May” for a different strategy that keeps the purpose in place without the scraggly grass.

“Protect Our Pollinators” programs around the country encourage community members to plant native species in their yards as a way to create additional habitat for bees, butterflies, moths and other insects that support approximately 35% of the world’s crops through pollination.

Earlier this month, the Village of Egg Harbor became one of the latest communities to make the switch in an effort to create longer-lasting pollinator habitats, as opposed to offering a monthly reprieve from yard work. Door County Land Trust Executive Director Emily Wood says there are other reasons to plant native species in your yard.

There will be opportunities throughout the county to purchase or pick up free native plants to give your lawn and garden a more local feel. The Door County Land Trust is partnering with the Climate Change Coalition of Door County for one of those opportunities on May 9.