State College updates No Mow May pilot, recommends plant-focused pollinator strategy

Jasmine Fields, Sustainability Program Officer for the Borough of State College, told council Monday that two pilot runs of the borough—s No Mow May program showed strong public interest but mixed public feedback and limited evidence that simply ceasing mowing produces durable pollinator benefits.

Fields said the borough ran its first pilot in 2022 with 60 registered participants and relaunched a modified pilot in 2024 with about 150 registered participants. She said the borough received 278 community survey responses after the 2024 pilot and that "most people heard about the program from the borough newsletter, social media, and word-of-mouth." Fields said some respondents were confused by the program—s registration requirements and the borough—s emphasis on pollinator conservation rather than only mowing cessation.

The presentation included two Penn State experts. Christina Grozinger, director of the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research, emphasized native planting and seasonal floral continuity, saying, "we have about 440 wild bee species that we have in Pennsylvania" and stressing habitat design that provides forage and nesting across seasons. Harlan Patch of the Penn State Arboretum said North American pollinator communities require native trees, shrubs and meadow plants that bloom across the year, and cautioned that common lawn weeds such as dandelions and clover are generally non-native and "are not plants for North American insects." Patch said simple non-mowing campaigns introduced from other countries can miss local ecological timing and nutrition needs and recommended active planting and management instead.

Why it matters: Borough staff said they do not intend to recommend a borough-wide No Mow May policy for 2025 unless council asks them to proceed. Instead, staff described a multi-part approach: better public education and demonstration projects, two forthcoming park meadow conversions funded via the county conservation district, a Penn State master's capstone to draft policy options, and a public panel discussion in March hosted with the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society.

Council members asked about next steps and regulatory barriers. Fields said staff is working with the borough arborist to adjust the street-tree planting list and that the borough is reviewing code provisions that currently restrict some types of yard or right-of-way plantings. Fields also said the borough is drafting outreach materials and a plant list for the borough website.

Council member Anthony Kasab said he was unsure of the value of No Mow May if it only relaxes mowing rather than requiring high-quality planting; Fields and the Penn State presenters agreed, telling council their data and experience favor intentional planting plans. Council member Michael Herndon urged the borough to track whether participants were single-family homes or multiunit properties; Fields said the registration database includes addresses and that staff can provide that breakdown.

Staff direction and next steps: Fields said borough staff will continue partnerships with the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research and the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society, develop educational materials and demonstration sites in borough parks, complete the student capstone policy work and post expanded plant and program resources on the borough website. The borough indicated draft code language to allow approved pollinator plantings will be reviewed but is not expected to be ready for the coming growing season.

Quotes in context are from presentation and council Q&A recorded in the meeting transcript.

The presentation concluded with an invitation to a public panel in about three weeks and contact information for the borough sustainability program for residents seeking more detail.