From leaving the leaves to making a pumpkin bird feeder, here are a few suggestions for a sustainable fall.
Help Plants and Pollinators by “Leaving the Leaves”
Every fall, Americans send millions of tons of leaves to landfills. But according to experts, this practice is bad for wildlife — not to mention a waste of free, natural fertilizer. Leaf litter is full of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus that are good for the plants in your yard. Instead of bagging leaves up and throwing them away, gently rake them into your garden beds or around the base of trees and shrubs. As they decompose, the leaves will boost soil health and suppress weeds, says the Xerces Society, an invertebrate conservation nonprofit. In addition to leaving the leaves in your yard, another good practice is to be gentle when moving them and avoid crushing the leaves into smaller pieces. Many native insects will overwinter, make cocoons, or lay their eggs in dry leaves, and more intact leaves will mean more pollinators for your garden in the spring.
Head to the Xerces Society website to learn more about sustainable leaf cleanup and to get your own “Leave the Leaves” yard sign!
Plan a Bird-friendly Halloween
Fall can be a spooky time for birds, as the weather gets colder and resources dwindle. The National Audubon Society has some tips to ensure that your Halloween celebrations benefit birds instead of adding to their stress. Audubon suggests avoiding synthetic spider webs — the gauzy material can ensnare and entangle birds, causing stress and injury. Spooky window decals, on the other hand, can actually benefit birds by making your glass more visible at a time of year when collisions tend to increase. Use washable tempera paint to draw pumpkins, ghosts, and other spooky figures on the outside of windows for added benefit. Decorative gourds can also provide wildlife-friendly decor. And once Halloween is over, you can cut them in half and fill them with birdseed to give backyard birds a little treat of their own!
Find even more ideas at Audubon Magazine.
Compost or Repurpose Your Pumpkins
In the United States, pumpkins are synonymous with fall. We buy hundreds of millions of these gourds every year to carve jack-o’-lanterns or put on the front stoop. But when it comes time to discard those pumpkins, most wind up in landfills. The National Wildlife Federation suggests opting for a more sustainable alternative this fall. They suggest adding the pumpkins to your compost pile or breaking them into smaller pieces and putting them out for local wildlife.
For additional creative ways to sustainably dispose of your favorite gourd this fall, head to the National Wildlife Federation’s website.
