poster of the Leave Your Leaves campaign

Leave your Tree Leaves for Pollinators

Nonprofit organization Keep Durham Beautiful is asking Durham residents to leave their tree leaves on the ground. This is part of a new initiative in partnership with New Hope Audubon Society to improve local ecosystems. The best thing about this project is that it requires residents to do literally nothing.

Leaves are a crucial component of a healthy ecosystem. Allowing the leaves to decompose where they fall or gently placing them in a specific area in your yard has a multitude of benefits:

  • Leaf litter provides winter habitat for many pollinators and 94% of caterpillars, the two classes of insects we need most.
  • Leaves help control weeds and enrich the soil as they decay. Lawn and bare ground provide none of these services.
  • Leaves soak up water, reducing runoff and flooding.
  • Leaving your leaves saves homeowners, businesses, and our governments time and money.
moth photographed in 2010 at Lavender and Cascadilla in Colonial Village, Durham, North Carolina – Photo by Angel Romero

For more information visit www.leaveyourleaves.org

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