Less Mow to Let it Grow!

You may have noticed that some areas of your favorite parks like Shaw Woods and Morgan Park are no longer being mowed. The mission of Portage Park District is rooted in conservation and our new mowing reduction plan supports that mission by providing habitat for wildlife like ground nesting birds, increasing flowers for pollinators, reducing emissions from mowing equipment, and improving plant diversity. We will continue to mow along most paths and in areas used for park programming, but we are decreasing our overall mowing footprint.

Reducing our mowing footprint has many benefits, including:

• Increasing habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Grassland bird populations are in decline primarily due to loss of habitat.
• Increasing plant diversity! Less mowing means a greater opportunity for native plants to establish and thrive.
• Saving energy and reducing emissions while saving labor time for other park projects.
• Improving visitor experience. More habitat means more opportunities for wildlife viewing and flower blooms.

Creating spaces where native grasses and wildflowers are allowed to grow tall will continue to benefit the environment and local wildlife, provide more sustainable habitat than traditional mowed areas, and enhance visitor experience in new ways. Our park botantist has reported that new sedge species have already been found at Shaw Woods!