Survey Finds HOA Requirements, City Ordinances Limit Wildlife-Friendly ‘Leave the Leaves’ Initiatives

RESTON, Va. - A National Wildlife Federation survey found that 52 percent of people are required to remove their Autumn leaves by either a homeowner's association, city or municipality ordinance, or a combination of both. This is a 17 percent increase from 2023 and creates roadblocks for those who would otherwise choose to leave their leaves where they fall.

While these regulations aren't uncommon, 90 percent of respondents are still willing to leave or repurpose their leaves to benefit wildlife and the environment. In fact, more than half (53 percent) of people keep their leaves out of the landfill by repurposing them for compost or garden mulch. Leaving the leaves creates critical habitat for wildlife from fireflies and bats to caterpillars and salamanders, and even songbirds that forage for insects and seeds among the leaves. By throwing away our leaves, we eliminate this important microhabitat and disrupt the ecosystem.

"Leave the Leaves Month has evolved to be more than a simple campaign about leaving your leaves where they fall. It's a movement focused on reducing waste and our carbon footprint while benefiting wildlife and the environment," said David Mizejewski, naturalist for the National Wildlife Federation. "Like the data tells us, leaving the leaves where they fall isn't always an option. We want to empower people to practice alternatives to the landfill by using leaves as natural mulch, in compost piles, or simply relocating them to another area of your yard rather than throwing them away."

The second annual Leave the Leaves Month survey found that 34 percent of respondents dispose of six to 10 garbage bags or more per year in the trash. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leaves and other yard debris account for 12 percent of the nation's municipal solid waste with more than 10 million tons of yard waste buried in the landfill every year. When buried, this organic matter releases methane gas as it decomposes without oxygen. Methane is more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere.

If you can't, or don't want to, leave the leaves, there's other ways to make an impact.

While the most natural way to enhance and preserve the ecosystem created by fall leaves is to leave them alone, we know this isn't an option for many homeowners. The next best solution is to rake leaves directly into garden beds to create a natural mulch layer that preserves soil moisture, suppresses weeds and naturally composts, returning nutrients directly to plant roots. You can also add them to a compost pile and let them decompose over the course of the year. That resulting compost can then be applied to lawns or garden beds. If those options aren't appealing or still don't work, use a mulching mower to chop leaves in place and return them to the soil.

"Habitat happens all year. The decisions gardeners make in the fall can have huge impacts on wildlife in the spring. If you're mandated to remove your leaves but still want to help wildlife thrive, consider options that are more beneficial than the landfill," said Mary Phillips, head of National Wildlife Federation native plant habitat impact and certifications. "Choosing to use your leaves as mulch in your garden beds, adding them to a compost pile, or even shredding your leaves in place are small changes that have huge benefits. Can't leave your leaves? Choose the next best thing."

The 2024 Leave the Leaves Month survey interviewed 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and over 65 living across the United States. Survey findings include:

• 77 percent of respondents own their home
• 52 percent are required to rake their leaves by either a homeowner's association, a city or municipality ordinance, or a combination of both
• 15 percent of respondents leave their leaves in their yard
• 61 percent maintain their yard and/or garden on their own without the help of a landscape company
• 53 percent are using collected leaves for mulch or compost
• 11 percent of those surveyed dispose of more than 10 bags of leaves per year in the trash, with 23 percent disposing between six to ten per year.
• 30 percent are worried about fallen leaves smothering or ruining their lawn.
• 27 percent remove their leaves because they don't like the way fallen leaves look in the yard.
• 22 percent said they'd leave or repurpose leaves to save time raking, and 19 percent said they'd do so to save money on mulch and compost
• 90 percent of people are willing to leave or repurpose leaves to benefit wildlife and the environment
  

National Wildlife Federation thanks its Certified Wildlife Habitat Champion Partner, Wild Birds Unlimited for its support and promoting Leave the Leaves Month.