"Fallen leaves can provide critical wildlife habitat and benefit soil health".
"As leaves begin to blanket yards across the country this fall, many might be tempted to clear away the crunchy foliage. Not so fast, experts say.
“The fallen leaf layer is actually really important wildlife habitat,” said David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit conservation organization. “All sorts of creatures rely on that for their survival as a place where they can find food and cover, and in many cases even complete their life cycle.”
But Mizejewski and other experts say you don’t have to let a thick layer of leaves carpet your entire yard to help support the environment.
“Have a little chaos in parts of your garden and that’s really beneficial for the soil and for the animals that need to share these landscapes with us,” said Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society, a nonprofit dedicated to invertebrate conservation."
Allyson Chiu reports for the Washington Post October 14, 2023.
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