If you're looking for a reason not to rake leaves this fall, here's a great one

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has designated October as "Leave the Leaves" month.

While leaving leaves is not a new recommendation, the intensity of that recommendation has been propelled to the forefront, not only for the sake of the birds but also for the sake of the environment.

Here's why: Many environmentally minded folks have recommended leaving the leaves when they fall because that pile of leaves that tends to get bagged and left for trash pickup contains an entire ecosystem of its own. And it's home to rich organic matter.

According to Susan Barton, a professor and extension specialist in landscape horticulture at the University of Delaware, "A forest has the richest soil there is, and that happens because leaves are falling off the trees and decomposing right there and organic materials are going back into the soil." So why don't we do that in our landscapes?

"We should," Barton replied.

A naturalist with NWF, David Mizejewski would have us understand about that entire ecosystem. It's home to "all sorts of animals, including invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and pollinators. Many species of moths and butterflies, for instance, rely on the leaf layer to complete their life cycle," he notes.

Maybe this statistic opens eyes: 90% of moth species' cocoons are attached to those fallen leaves. The cocoons overwinter there and metamorphose in the spring. "Those moths and butterflies, in turn, are a critical food supply for many birds," he explains.

Or maybe this bit of information makes the importance of the message click: "When we are overly zealous about getting rid of every single leaf in our neighborhoods, we literally wipe out entire populations of these pollinators," according to Mizejewski.

Okay, so maybe your neighborhood has certain restrictions, although maybe those restrictions are only self-imposed. Maybe your neighbor is a neat freak, and maybe you likewise feel pressured to "keep up with the neighbors."

But maybe there's an alternative?

One option is to rake the leaves onto a garden bed, against a back fence, or under shrubs. Or pile leaves up to five inches deep around the bases of the trees from which they fell. Or use the lawn mower to mulch the leaves on the spot, leaving the bits of leaf litter in place. Good for the soil, good for the trees as the organic matter returns to the soil to nourish what grows there!

Another suggestion: Rake the leaves into a compost pile. They'll deteriorate over winter and next spring will function well as mulch around flowers and shrubs.

According to Barton, however, everyone should avoid two methods of dealing with fallen leaves.

"Whatever you do, do not dump leaves near a gutter or put leaves in trash bags." What? No trash bags to leave at the curb for yard-waste pickup day?

That's right.

As Barton patiently (or maybe not so patiently) explains, "The very worst thing is to send (leaves) to a landfill where they won't get used as the resource that they are. It's recycling something that already exists on the property, and it makes a much better soil structure."

So this fall, let's save the butterflies. Let's save the pollinators. Let's save the birds. Let's save the soil. Let's save the landfill from overfill. Let's do the right thing. Leave the leaves.

For more information about birds and bird habitat, see Sharon Sorenson's books How Birds Behave, Birds in the Yard Month by Month, and Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard. Follow daily bird activity on Facebook at SharonSorensonBirdLady, or email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Should I rake the leaves in my yard?