Mowing management
How do we mow?
The municipality of Nuenen conducts mowing in two ways:
Recreational lawn
These are lawns that we maintain as lawns. Especially in the villages, we mow this way. We mow these fields at image level B. Do you want to know what image quality is? Take a look at What is image quality?
In this Map you can see which fields are mowed as lawns.
Ecological roadside management
We mow once or twice a year:
- The first time around June or July
- The second time around September or October
- In the winter months, we do not mow.
We also take into account "shedding. This means that small branches can grow into trees. Overgrowth can be prevented by mowing. That's why we skip a different area each time we mow. This way there is always about 20% uncut, in a different place every time.
Why ecological mowing?
We want more flowers, color and insects in the roadsides. So it will not be a wilderness, but a lively and natural place for such things as insects, birds and small animals.
We mow most roadsides at least once a year. This creates more species of plants and flowers. These are important for insects. They use the tall grass for shelter, to find food or to reproduce. We mow according to Kleurkeur. This is a hallmark of the Butterfly Foundation. It helps to improve biodiversity.
Why is that important?
Insects, such as parasitic wasps, are natural enemies of the oak processionary caterpillar. So a healthy natural environment helps reduce nuisance from this caterpillar.
Less mowing also creates more variety inflora and fauna. And by removing the grass clippings, the soil receives less nutrition. That sounds crazy, but it actually helps! So more flowers grow and less just grass.
In this Map shows which sections of roadside are mowed ecologically. Each section shows how often it is mowed.
Safety
When mowing, we always pay attention to traffic safety. In dangerous places, such as intersections and bicycle paths, we mow more often: three times a year. This keeps the overview good and it remains safe. To keep verges accessible along footpaths and bicycle paths, we mow extra. We mow the first meter three times a year.
We perform all work according to the Nature Protection Act and the national code of conduct.