Wild plants are being allowed to flourish at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth this month as the charity takes part in No Mow May.

Parts of the sanctuary’s grounds are being left unmown to give pollinators a boost ahead of the summer.

The conservation charity Plantlife started the No Mow May initiative in 2019, encouraging gardeners and the organisations that maintain public spaces to let the grass grow for a month.

Doing so, even just for a few weeks, enables wildflowers to bloom, benefitting pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies. Grass is also an important source of food and shelter for many invertebrates.

Helen Cavilla, one of The Donkey Sanctuary’s Ecology and Conservation officers, said: “Many wildflowers such as English bluebell, cuckooflower and primrose are flowering along our walkways this spring, many popping up where they haven’t been seen before.

“Two of the most nectar-rich species on the walkways are the dandelion and common daisy – many pollinators rely on them, especially in the cooler times of early spring.

“Providing spaces for wildflowers and grasses is so important and the more diverse the spaces are botanically and structurally, the more diverse fauna they are able to support.”

Another significant date relating to pollination is the United Nations’ World Bee Day on 20 May, which highlights the critical contribution made by all pollinators across the world.

Pollinators, which also include beetles, bats, birds and primates, allow many plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Many fruit and vegetable crops directly rely on pollinators.

As well as working to create a better environment for bees and other pollinators, The Donkey Sanctuary’s Ecology and Conservation team and their band of volunteers have created ‘bee hotels’ and installed them around the Sidmouth sanctuary.

The simple structures, constructed from lengths of plant stems in a recycled wooden frame, provide a secure home for wild bees and other insects. Several of these can be spotted down the Weston Valley and around the sanctuary site.

In Britain, there are 24 species of bumblebee, one honeybee and around 250 species of solitary bees. Bumblebees and honeybees are social species living in large colonies together, whereas the solitary bees nest alone – although large numbers of solitary bees may be seen when nesting closely together.

The Donkey Sanctuary accepts that simple habitat improvement is hugely important at a time of widespread biodiversity crisis. This is good news for everyone, including the resident donkeys who benefit from the enriched environment.