The Virginia Wildlife Habitat Cooperative in 2021 is offering a new service – large lot mowing for health of people and pollinators. This practically means having the people and equipment to mow grasslands from 5 to 50 inches high in zones around a house. In some small areas this includes the use of, yes, we are serious, a scythe. And in larger areas, scythe-.like specialty mechanized equipment we are presently fabricating in our shop.
Some Central Virginia Rural Area zoning ordinances creates large rural lots of 20 acres or more. The default often is to mow vast acreages of fescue at 4-6 inches. This isn’t much helping wildlife and in the long run it isn’t much helping us humans either.
The solution is mowing diversity. To create bands of different heights of grasslands. Short near the house with paths radiating out to taller layered grasslands.
Some of the equipment needed to do this at a commercial scale is simply not sold in the US so we are fabricating our own this Winter. If you are a large lot landowner and want to explore how to create biodiversity while still maintaining a neat and manicured viewshed, contact us at mike@americanclimatepartners.org.