“we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared
inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone*.” Pope Francis, LS #93
Northern Virginia is blessed with a leafy canopy that nourishes us with clean air (storing carbon and producing oxygen) all spring and summer. Now our leaves are hinting at the color soon to come, as they turn and fall, ready to do their next job of providing habitat for insects, butterflies and birds, nutrients for the soil, holding moisture and delaying erosion.
How can we support their vital work? I reached out to the Fairfax office of VA Tech’s Cooperative Extension Service and the agent pointed out several informative sources on using the gift of leaves to benefit the environment for all.
· The Xerces Society (www.xerces.org ) “Leave the Leaves” campaign tells us that: “One of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the winter cover they need.” The Xerces site is a wealth of information, advice and resources, including a Leave the Leaves sign (shown above) that can be ordered.· The National Wildlife Federation endorses the value of keeping leaves in our landscapes as well, extoling leaves as natural mulch, fertilizer and weed suppressant. (https://www.nwf.org search:leaves). · The Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources (search: leave the leaves at https://dwr.virginia.gov) reports leaves are important for frogs, salamanders, box turtles, butterflies and insect eating birds. These sites, public and private, agree with the message: Leave the Leaves!As for the expanses of grass lawn in our suburban neighborhoods, mowing with a mulching blade and allowing the leaf litter to fall into the lower canopy of the grass is the healthiest recommendation for the lawn and for the creatures that live there. And as we contemplate sharing our yards with their first inhabitants, consider scaling down the lawn size and increasing the planting areas where native plants, insects, birds, bees and others can thrive. Are we ready to give up the blowing and bagging and hauling? Shall we agree to re-use and recycle leaves for their intended purpose? Shredded leaves are excellent mulch! Un-shredded leaves provide mulch, moisture and protection benefits. Let’s make 2025 the year we Leave the Leaves!
inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone*.” Pope Francis, LS #93
Northern Virginia is blessed with a leafy canopy that nourishes us with clean air (storing carbon and producing oxygen) all spring and summer. Now our leaves are hinting at the color soon to come, as they turn and fall, ready to do their next job of providing habitat for insects, butterflies and birds, nutrients for the soil, holding moisture and delaying erosion.
How can we support their vital work? I reached out to the Fairfax office of VA Tech’s Cooperative Extension Service and the agent pointed out several informative sources on using the gift of leaves to benefit the environment for all.
· The Xerces Society (www.xerces.org ) “Leave the Leaves” campaign tells us that: “One of the most valuable things you can do to support pollinators and other invertebrates is to provide them with the winter cover they need.” The Xerces site is a wealth of information, advice and resources, including a Leave the Leaves sign (shown above) that can be ordered.· The National Wildlife Federation endorses the value of keeping leaves in our landscapes as well, extoling leaves as natural mulch, fertilizer and weed suppressant. (https://www.nwf.org search:leaves). · The Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources (search: leave the leaves at https://dwr.virginia.gov) reports leaves are important for frogs, salamanders, box turtles, butterflies and insect eating birds. These sites, public and private, agree with the message: Leave the Leaves!As for the expanses of grass lawn in our suburban neighborhoods, mowing with a mulching blade and allowing the leaf litter to fall into the lower canopy of the grass is the healthiest recommendation for the lawn and for the creatures that live there. And as we contemplate sharing our yards with their first inhabitants, consider scaling down the lawn size and increasing the planting areas where native plants, insects, birds, bees and others can thrive. Are we ready to give up the blowing and bagging and hauling? Shall we agree to re-use and recycle leaves for their intended purpose? Shredded leaves are excellent mulch! Un-shredded leaves provide mulch, moisture and protection benefits. Let’s make 2025 the year we Leave the Leaves!