(file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Tyler Marr

DON'T TOUCH THE RAKE

Leave the leaves behind this autumn says land conservation organization

Oct 16, 2019 | 12:10 PM

Keep the rake in the shed.

That is what the Nature Conservancy of Canada says when it comes to people considering—or procrastinating—about cleaning up their yards this fall.

Director of Conservation Cameron Wood said leaving leaves on the ground can help add nutrients to a lawn as the leaves break down into the soil. The leaves, he said, also provide a spot for insects to hibernate over the winter by providing insulation and food. These bugs are an important food source for migratory birds.

“Nature is messy and having some of those things left behind is a natural part of the environment,” Wood said. “It is not always clean and pristine and there are natural processes at play that can do a lot of that work for us without us having to do anything.”

But if you do want to tend to the leaves, Wood recommends mulching them and adding them to flower beds as they break down over the winter and provide natural nutrients to the soil.

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Opting to not cut your grass and leave it a bit longer in the fall can help capture snow and move moisture into the soil for next spring, Wood added.

“A lot of this is environmentally beneficial as it keeps [the waste] out of landfills and puts water back into the soil and is really good for your garden and yard as well,” he said.

He said people are driven to rake the leaves as they want to keep things neat and tidy heading into winter.

“But sometimes leaving things in place and letting it work itself out is the best course,” he said.

Wood said more people are starting to take a different perspective on lawns as they begin to understand how they can be of benefit to pollinators, insects and the environment overall.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr