Once the beauty of autumn trees has passed and the leaves have fallen to the ground, it is time to take action to keep leaves out of the water systems. Homeowners and communities can mulch, compost, bag and dispose, and leave leaves in place–all of which can have impact on the environment an on local wildlife. Alan Nogee, President of Friends of Cold Spring Park, recently gave a nuanced recommendation on the practice of mulching leaves:
“Regarding the recommendation to mulch leaves or bag them: mulching native tree leaves destroys the many caterpillar eggs and larvae that are on them. (Caterpillars are essential food for many animals; they transfer more energy from plants to animals than any other organism!)
I compromise by mulching the leaves that fall in my front yard from the Norway maple street trees, while raking the oak leaves that dominate in my backyard into garden beds. (Norway maple leaves support 13 species of caterpillars that are generalists and will eat anything. Oaks support more than 450 species and a much greater abundance of caterpillars and other wildlife.)
Leaving the leaves saves caterpillars and provides places for bumblebees, fireflies, and other beneficial insects to overwinter. If you don’t have enough room for your leaves in your garden beds, think about expanding them!”
Alan Nogee founded Friends of Cold Spring Park in 2018. He grew up in Newton Highlands, playing in Cold Spring Park in the 1960s, and moved back in 2003. Alan is a mostly-retired career environmentalist, having worked as the Clean Energy Program Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, and with other non-profits. Alan won an award from the Newton Conservators in 2020 for his work with Friends of Cold Spring Park.
