The National Wildlife Federation wants homeowners to leave the autumn leaves on the ground.
Spokesperson David Mizejewski says allowing some or all of them to decompose naturally in a corner of the yard is an environmentally smart thing to do.
“You’re going to be doing your plants a favour by providing that natural mulch protection and fertilizer. At the same time, that leaf litter is really, really important habitat for all sorts of wildlife,” he explains.
He says many insects also take shelter in leaf piles, providing a major source of food for birds during the winter months.
He adds the 33-million tons of leaves and other lawn debris we send to landfills every year generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, as they decompose. Mizejewski doesn’t recommended blowing leaves into the street either, saying they can end up in storm drains, and later in lakes, resulting in unwanted algae growth.
