Tell your local leaders to safeguard vital leaf habitat

Caterpillar in fallen leaves. Getty Images, Fireflies in Iowa. Photo by Radim Schreiber, Salamander eft in fallen leaves. Getty Images

What we do with fallen leaves in the fall can have huge impacts on wildlife in the spring. When leaves are collected and thrown away or sent to the landfill in the fall, we eliminate an important overwintering microhabitat for caterpillars, salamanders, fireflies and other wildlife in addition to disrupting the ecosystem.

But local ordinances or homeowners associations often require the removal of fallen leaves from residential and commercial landscapes, in addition to outdoor public spaces. Send a message today urging your local officials to lift or modify any existing fallen leaves removal requirements and to leave the leaves in outdoor public spaces.

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Please lift or modify any existing ordinances and/or regulations that require the removal of fallen leaves from residential and commercial landscapes, including outdoor public spaces in our community.

What we do with fallen leaves in the fall in our community can have huge impacts on wildlife in the spring. When leaves are collected and thrown away or sent to the landfill in the fall, we eliminate an important overwintering microhabitat for caterpillars, salamanders, fireflies and other local wildlife in addition to disrupting the ecosystem.

Have you ever wondered where butterflies go in winter? The answer is right underfoot. Butterflies and moths may overwinter in the leaves as caterpillars, chrysalises, or even in their adult forms, depending on the species. When leaves are raked into a yard waste bag, up to 45% of a yard’s butterflies are thrown away!

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leaves and other yard debris account for more than 12 percent of the nation’s solid waste—with more than a whopping 10 million tons buried in landfills every year. Without enough oxygen to decompose, this organic matter releases the greenhouse gas methane into our atmosphere.

Fallen leaves can be moved from turf areas to appropriate garden beds and around the bases of trees to create a three to five inches deep natural mulch where wildlife can overwinter and plants can benefit from their nutrients. Or they can be composted and returned to help build our soils.

Thank you for taking action to make sure our local ordinances and/or regulations do not prohibit us from leaving the leaves when they fall in residential and commercial landscapes and in public outdoor spaces, but are used to provide habitat for local wildlife and do not end up in the landfill.  Sincerely,

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Photo credits:
Caterpillar in fallen leaves. Getty Images,
Fireflies in Iowa. Photo by Radim Schreiber,
Salamander eft in fallen leaves. Getty Images

Tell your local leaders to safeguard vital leaf habitat

Your Information

Personalize Your Message

Caterpillar in fallen leaves. Getty Images.

Fireflies in Iowa. Photo by Radim Schreiber.

Salamander eft in fallen leaves. Getty Images.