‘Leave the Leaves’: Local conservation-biology student’s request for you
It’s fallen-leaves season. You might look at them as something to be raked up and bagged. Local masters-degree student Symone Tuleja would like you to see them, and deal with them, differently – on behalf of bees. As part of their capstone project, Symone wrote this and invited us to share it with you: If you have a yard or outdoor space, you may choose to rake and dispose of leaves in the fall. While this encourages healthy lawns, it can remove a valuable habitat for bumblebees. Bumblebees differ from honeybees as they are very calm and gentle insects. They are also very important pollinators for flowers, fruit, and vegetable gardens. During the colder months, bumblebee queens need a safe and warm place to hibernate until spring as they may not survive through the winter. They like to hibernate in the ground and under the leaves that fall off the trees throughout the autumn season. Conservation movements such as ‘Leave the Leaves’ encourage those who own lawns to not rak...