A word from your friendly neighborhood conservation commissioners. We’re all literally watching the grass grow before our very eyes as June has been about as rainy as they come. Great for replenishing our aquifers. No need for hoses and sprinklers in that vegetable garden. And if you set up rain barrels, you’re overflowing with nature’s bounty. But stop before you mount that ride-on mower or fire up the self-powered pusher. Take a look at what you normally cut. What if you were to do half of it? More time with the family. Less fuel consumption. A little peace in the neighborhood on the weekend instead of the drone of two-stroke engines. Listen to the birds instead. We’re recommending you mow just the recreation areas to keep down the ticks and mosquitoes. Get creative and cut pathways through your yard, leaving swaths of grass to go wild. Throw some wildflower seeds around in this nice wet ground and see what comes up over time. Try “meadow-scaping”. You’ll attract and feed more birds, butterflies and bees. Plant milkweed to feed the monarchs (who are now doing better in Mexico, where they winter, than here in North America). Your yard will flourish with more pollinators without the need for harmful and expensive fertilizers, and goodness forbid herbicides or pesticides that are harming us all. Much less costly approach than a manicured lawn. A more interesting and beautifully original landscape to set off your dwelling. Keep Wilton Wild.