FAQs about Nature Isn't Neat

Our recreation areas will still be maintained regularly, and patches mown for play and picnics. Areas of wildflowers and grass will provide opportunities for children to engage with nature on their doorstep. 

It’s an offence to throw or drop litter in any place which the public have access and we will continue to monitor our greenspaces for litter.

It is the dog owner’s responsibility to collect all waste regardless of the grass height or environment. If a person allows their dog to foul and does not pick it up, they are committing an offence. For dog walkers, paths will be cut through the grass meadows so there will still be plenty of routes for you to exercise your dogs.

Highest pollen levels are normally experienced during the early summer months as a result of pollen being released from trees, garden plants and grass. 

Mowing can make hay fever worse by throwing pollen into the air as grass is cut. In grassland and meadow areas, we will try to mow grassland areas when the pollen becomes more dense and disperses less easily, this is typically after May, June and July.

Verges next to junctions and roundabouts will continue to be mown to maintain visibility. 

Is this all just a cost saving exercise? We are working differently not less. Cutting and collecting the grass takes longer but allows our teams more time earlier in the season to undertake other improvements in your area. 

After the flowering season, areas of long grass can start to look messy as plants put their energy into seeds for next year’s wildflowers. These areas still have vital importance for pollinators, other insects, birds and mammals to enable them to complete their entire lifecycle and provide habitat for other wildlife like hedgehogs.

We would like to monitor sites to see how pollinator populations are changing with the altered management. If you would like to get involved email: gwentpollinators@monmouthshire.gov.uk