Leave the leaves

The days are getting cooler and autumn rain is on its way. It’s time to make sure leaves and debris are out of the streets, ditches, and gutters, but that doesn’t mean we should get rid of them all together.

Leaves and debris that fall from trees are an important part of the food web. Leaves are food for insects, which are food for birds and fish. Fallen leaves provide cover for over wintering pollinators, beneficial insects, and amphibians as well as providing a mulch layer to protect plants and soil and keep them warm through colder days.

Excess plant nutrients or chemically treated plants & lawns can stress or harm fish. Rake grass and leaves from yards and parking lots away from streets and ditches to keep them out of our waterways.

Put leaves into the compost or mow them into your lawn where the nutrients will feed the plants. Use leaves and stems as mulch on garden beds or under trees and shrubs to give our native pollinators and helpful creatures a snug place to winter over.

We all benefit from thoughtful yard maintenance.