This is a featured guest post by Kaashvi Kasera, a student at Oakton High School. Kaashvi is a member of the Environmental Club at her school and is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award.

Fall is here and with it, a high demand for rakes. But before you grab yours, let’s pause to consider: how beneficial is raking really? What impact does it have on the environment that often goes unnoticed? Those fallen leaves might seem like messy, brown clutter, but they’re far from waste. In fact, they play an important role in supporting nature right in your own backyard.

Fallen leaves are more than just yard clutter. They’re vital homes for wildlife like fireflies, moths, butterflies, and countless other insects. There’s no need to shred or remove them; creatures such as roly-polies and leaf-eating bugs naturally break down the leaves for you, enriching the soil in the process. So skip the shredding— nature already has its own cleanup crew.

Lastly, let’s take a look at two specific examples of wildlife and what important life processes are happening beneath the leaves. The National Wildlife Federation mentions the mourning cloak butterfly. These mysteriously named insects, cloaked in velvet and black, are known for their hibernation habits. Fallen leaves provide insulation, especially when colder temperatures arrive. Stay tuned, because this next fact may surprise you. The National Wildlife Federation states that when butterflies hibernate in the leaves for the winter in order to conserve their energy, they can endure temperatures as cold as -76 degrees Fahrenheit!

Next, the Luna moth, often considered one of North America’s most beautiful moths, depends on fallen leaves. Within the leaf litter, these moths will pupate, or develop into a pupa. They will use the leaves to create their cocoons. Additionally, Luna moths have a short lifespan, and the majority of their time as an adult is spent reproducing. By conserving their energy underneath leaves, Luna moths are able to stay healthy during harsh winter conditions allowing them to find mates and lay eggs efficiently. 

This year, we hope you’ll consider leaving the leaves in your yard! You can rake them into garden beds or piles in your yard to clear walkways and benefit the local ecosystem right outside your window.

Remember that if you must remove the leaves, they belong in paper yard waste bags, never in plastic, to ensure they get properly composted. Check with your hauler to find out when yard waste pickup is.