From the Franklin Township Environmental Commission.

Earlier this year, the Franklin Township Environmental Commission launched the Save the Mow Till Earth Day (SMTED) campaign to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators in our ecosystem and agriculture. Residents were asked to delay their first mowing until April 22nd, Earth Day. Delaying the first mow allows various beneficial flowers to bloom, providing necessary nectar for hungry pollinators waking up from their winter hibernation. The campaign was joined by the Township and even by Somerset County. The commission has received dozens of photos from its residents documenting the SMTED campaign.

The Franklin Township Environmental Commission would like to thank all residents, township employees and Somerset County for joining the campaign and doing their part of making our environment better for all of us.

The commission selected pictures of Jenny Kafas as the best pictures of the SMTED campaign. Congratulations, Jenny!

As we are at the end of Summer and some leaves are already falling, we would like to encourage our residents to consider leaving small amounts of mulched leaves on the ground. This will return important nutrients back into our soil, so that we can save our hard earned money and skip the chemical fertilizer. This is also a reminder to avoid chemical weed control so that the diverse nectar-bearing flowers can grow again next Spring.