Orbit, one of the UK’s foremost housing groups, is supporting Plantlife’s No Mow May campaign this year by pledging to leave 48,000m2 of grass uncut across its estates to benefit wildlife, cut green waste and improve the quality of outdoor spaces for residents.
Over 40 of Orbit’s estates in Bexley and Erith will participate in the initiative, where carefully selected areas of grass will be left uncut to promote and protect pollinating wildflowers which provide a valuable food source for insects.
Orbit colleagues will be closely monitoring the estates throughout the month to build a picture of where wildflowers exist, identifying how relaxing or continuing mowing in the future can impact and improve the biodiversity of individual spaces.
During No Mow May, Orbit’s estates teams will also focus on improving other recreational spaces including additional maintenance of paved areas and walkways and verge sweeping, as well as the building of bird boxes which provide vital replacement habitat for natural nesting sites.
The initiative supports Orbit’s commitment to ensure that 30% of its outdoor spaces support nature’s recovery by 2030 – part of its Biodiversity Approach developed with the support of the Wildlife Trusts’, aligning with their ‘30 by 30’ campaign as well as the UN Convention’s goals on Biological Diversity.
Joanna Crouch, Environmental Sustainability Manager for Orbit, commented:
“We’re delighted to support No Mow May this year. 92% of our customers told us how important green space is to them1 and this is another way for Orbit to ensure that these spaces are thriving, both now and in the future.
“By participating in No Mow May we’re not only boosting biodiversity in these areas but also reducing grounds maintenance waste and gaining valuable insight to help shape our approach to more sustainable estates management in the future. Actions like this not only contribute to wildlife flourishing across our estates, but better connects our customers to nature, which positively impacts their wellbeing.”
To find out more about the campaign, visit Plantlife at www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/
1. Orbit Group, Biodiversity Approach, 2022.
https://orbitgroup.org.uk/media/2733/biodiversity-approach.pdf