A to Bee Roads and Buzzing Parks

Our A to Bee Roads programme aims to change the frequency of mowing on around 100km of central reservations to support Birmingham's wildlife and nature recovery, and combat climate change.

The A to Bee Roads programme follows on from trials for No Mow May in 2023, which focused on just 4 of the city's 69 wards.

A to Bee Roads will start by covering 51 wards across the 10 constituencies. There will be signs up on central reservations to show where the programme is being implemented.

In our parks, we will identify areas that would benefit from changes to the mowing regime or could be enhanced by planting wildflowers and spring bulbs – these will be part of Birmingham's Buzzing Parks.

The Buzzing Parks will start by focusing on improving parks in those wards without designated nature conservation sites.

Why we are doing this

The No Mow May trial showed us that the benefits of stopping mowing for 4 weeks alone are limited because:

• later-flowering species will not flower
• a wide range of wildlife, such as some butterflies and moths, use the longer grasses as a food plant for their caterpillars

We also know that stopping all mowing of previously mown grass means some grasses will be lost, as they survive only because repeated cutting replicates grazing by herbivores.

This new approach ties into our Nature Recovery Network, which is made up of all the ecologically rich sites in Birmingham, including the parks and open spaces that connect them.

Our network of grass and tree-lined central reservations acts as corridors for wildlife movement, connecting parks and open spaces, often through more built-up areas.

Tackling climate change

Changing the mowing regime in selected areas will reduce the overall need for fuel (for mowing) by reducing the total operating hours and mileage for each machine.

By selectively leaving sections of grass to grow longer, we will also contribute to reducing flood risk, as longer grass slows rainwater runoff compared to short grass.

How you can help

There are lots of simple actions we can take at home, and small actions in our gardens can make a big difference, for example:

• if you have a lawn, try leaving some parts longer as our urban wildlife needs areas of short grass, long grass, and even bare earth, so a mix of these maximises the opportunities for a wide range of species.
• plant pollinator-friendly plants in your garden, or in pots if you have a yard or balcony, so that wildlife can find them – there are lots to choose from, and a good selection can be found on the RHS Perfect for Pollinators list
• if you have a driveway or are thinking of installing one, consider using a permeable surface or paving, one that allows water to seep through to the soils below – you could keep some areas of planting around the edges or even in the area between where the wheels of a car may run

Page last updated: 3 March 2026