🦋Leaf It Be! 

Why leaves should stay on the ground.

Fall is here. As the days get shorter and the nights are cooler, the leaves will fall from some trees to the earth. This is how the trees protect themselves in the winter, and it is very important for us to leave those leaves where they are. The leaves provide essential nutrients for the trees, providing habitat for small and large critters. They also provide an essential insulation layer for the tree. Leaf litter is important in all seasons, not only fall. Imagine, if you will that the tree’s roots are like human skin. If we go out in the sun without any protection what happens? We get dry,  chapped, cracked, and unable to retain moisture without some kind of protection. That’s similar to what happens to the tree’s roots as well.  You can read more about it on this blog by Xerces Society. Many of our pollinators need the leaves for their survival over the winter months, including the silk moth pictured below.