Autumn is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, and cooler temperatures signal it is time to tidy up the yard and prepare before the snow falls. So, when you’re raking up the leaves, think about leaving some behind as a small act of nature conservation.
Andrew Holland, who is the national media director for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), is urging folks to support backyard biodiversity. You will also be providing a safe and warm haven for small critters and insects during the winter months.
Holland says that embracing your inner laziness will go a long way in helping your lawn’s soil quality. As the fallen leaves break down, they turn into mulch, which can help keep your lawn healthy and suppress weeds, according to CTV News Canada.
Jensen Edwards, National Media Relations Manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, told LacombeOnline: “I think a lot of us have this conception of our lawns and our backyards as sort of extensions of our living rooms. When in fact, they’re part of nature, they’re part of urban nature.
Edwards is particularly inspiring when he describes the “grand cycles that happen right outside our windows. By raking everything or leaf blowing everything you’re sort of disrupting those cycles a little bit.”
Edwards also points out that it is wise to ensure there are no large piles of leaves throughout your yard as thick piles may cause a large soggy patch come springtime. Additionally, large piles of pine needles are not good for soil due to their acidity but pine needles can add special nutrients to mulch. Leaving foliage around the base of a tree can also protect them during the freeze-thaw cycle.
National Wildlife Federation joins in urging folks to rake less leaves
National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski is also encouraging people to leave the leaves where they fall. Those leaves are part of the natural process of life on the planet, and he says, “Let fallen leaves stay on your property.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leaves and other yard debris account for more than 13 percent of the nation’s solid waste—a whopping 33 million tons a year. Without enough oxygen to decompose, this organic matter releases the greenhouse gas methane, and that is one GHG we do not need.
In fact, solid-waste landfills are the largest U.S. source of man-made methane—and that’s aside from the carbon dioxide generated by gas-powered blowers and trucks used in leaf disposal.
It is really simple, folks; we have got to start using our common sense and look at the bigger picture that nature presents to us. We are the only ones who have the power to right the wrongs that have taken place – so put down those rakes.
