When it comes to fall cleanup, less is more in your Wild Back Yard! Before you grab your rake, leaf blower and yard waste bags, consider “cleaning up” with wildlife in mind:
By Becca Zak, Interpretive Naturalist
Leave your leaves: Leaves fall from trees to return much-needed nutrients to the soil, NOT to inflict hours of raking and bagging! Amphibians, reptiles, insects and small mammals use leaf “litter” as winter habitat, while plants benefit from the insulation leaves provide from winter’s snow and frigid temperatures.
Respect the dead: Leave logs and branches to decay and build understory habitat. When safe, leave standing dead trees as roosting spots for songbirds and small mammals. Let native wildflower seed heads stand throughout the winter as a food source for backyard birds and an overwinter nursery for solitary bees!
Build up brush: Use fallen twigs and branches to create a brush pile to benefit wildlife. If placed near feeders, winter birds and small mammals will use it to take shelter from weather and predators when they snack.
For more stories like this, check out Green Islands magazine, a bi-monthly publication from Summit Metro Parks. Summit County residents can sign up to receive the publication at home free of charge.