As the weather cools and the leaves begin to fall, the City of Cambridge and Region of Waterloo are busy reminding residents of yard waste pick up schedules.
But Bee City Canada has an easier solution to the back-breaking work required to bag all those leaves; leave them.
It may sound punny, but it's beneficial to the environment.
"While some pollinators, like monarch butterflies, migrate to avoid the winter cold, the majority overwinter close to home," Bee City Canada coordinator Jordan Phelps said.
"This is why it's so important that we leave the leaves and other plant material, such as stems, that pollinators use as shelter during the winter months."
Several butterfly and moth species take cover under leaves as it provides a much needed layer of insulation. Bumblebees, on the other hand, can burrow into the ground or into dead plant stems.
Some may be concerned about the impact of heavy leaf coverage on their grass come spring. For those people, Phelps advises raking the leaves into a flower bed and then allowing them to decompose. As decomposition happens, much needed nutrients are released into the soil.
The City of Cambridge agrees with the benefits and encourages residents to leave them be or consider composting.
"If a thin layer of leaves has fallen on your yard, consider leaving them just as they are," Phelps said.
"If you've got plant stems in your garden that you would typically cut back before winter, consider holding off on that until late spring. You just might have some little friends using these stems as shelter to make it through the winter."
For anyone that chooses to rake, the city's leaf collection program is anticipated to run from Nov. 11 to Dec. 6.
Leaves should be raked onto the side of the road as close to the curb as possible the weekend before scheduled collection. Sticks, branches and other material should be removed.
Region of Waterloo yard waste collection ends Nov. 22.
For more information, including collection schedules, visit cambridge.ca.
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