The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Leave the Leaves!
Leaves are not litter
They’re food and shelter for butterflies, beetles, bees, moths, and more. Tell friends and neighbors to just #leavetheleaves
Yup. I’ll clear them off the sidewalk. I don’t see any reason to more than that.
I clear them a reasonable amount away from my house, because they may not be litter but they are a fire hazard where I live. But they still get to naturally decompose in dedicated spots.
The decompose into dirt. So put them where dirt already is, don’t leave them where dirt is not.
In my town they get blown into piles by the wind and end up clogging all the storm drains, so the town is pretty strict on clearing leaves from your yard.
I compost mine over the winter, and then I have fresh fertilizer for trees in the spring. But most people just have a dozen trash bags in their yard until garbage day. Too bad.
