LEAVE THE LEAVES, WEST NEWBURY!

Leave the Leaves!

Tis fall, instead of raking and bagging leaves for the landfill, consider leaving these valuable nutrient-packed food makers. Raked under trees, shrubs, and onto garden beds, leaves are free mulch to suppress weeds, keep your soil moist and will fertilize your plants as they break down throughout the late fall and winter. Many wildlife including insects, caterpillars, frogs, and mammals overwinter in fallen leaves. Leaves also support micro-organisms in the soil to keep plant healthy and disease free. Check out this guide from the Xerces Society on creating overwintering and nesting habitat for pollinators.  

The Leave the Leaves Sign you may have seen in yards in West Newbury and surrounding communities was created by local artist Jenn Houle for West Newbury Wild and Native. It features a small array of the many invertebrates that rely on leaf cover and standing sticks and stems to overwinter. Birds will devour the seeds in flower heads that are left standing which provide important fatty nutrients for the cold months in Massachusetts.

Native MA species identified from top left clockwise at the sign: Compton tortoiseshell butterfly*, firefly, clouded sulphur caterpillar, spring azure*, native bees, mourning cloak butterfly*, mourning cloak caterpillar, luna moth caterpillar, and luna moth. 

Who knew there were so many good things in leaves!

From: West Newbury Wild and Native, West Newbury Open Space Committee and West Newbury Tree Committee