Transcript:

At Michigan State University, the roar of lawn mowers is being replaced by the sound of buzzing bees.

Last year, the school began transforming some mowed lawns into wild meadow habitat for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Landscape services coordinator Josh Ridner worked with an entomology professor to identify 22 acres of lawn on campus that got little foot traffic.

The landscaping crew stopped mowing those areas and let the grass grow naturally.

And on six of those acres, they planted and seeded native and pollinator-friendly plants.

Ridner: “We put some butterfly weed and Joe Pye weed. There’s blazing star, bee balm, mountain mint, black-eyed Susan.”

By limiting the need for mowers and other gas-powered lawn equipment, the project reduces planet-warming carbon pollution and maintenance costs.

Ridner: “We’re only doing the mowing essentially once a year as opposed to, you know, 24 to 28 times a year.”

So Ridner expects the change to pay for itself within three years.

And he hopes to expand the effort by planting more this year. So soon, the campus will be abuzz with butterflies, bees, and birds.

Ridner: “It’s gonna help the environment. It’s gonna do a lot of good for us.”

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media