by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
When cleaning your yard and your garden now that winter is almost here and the leaves are all over the place and trees may need pruning as well remember to leave a heap of leaves or pile of prunings. They will will provide a home for wildlife like hedgehogs and pest-eating insects to overwinter.
If you have a pile of leaves and branches and such that has been laying about for a few weeks or so leave them where they are until spring. Do not burn them or move them. You might do damage to hedgehogs or other beneficial animals that have settled down for the winter already.
All too often people have accumulated a heap of branches, twigs and leaves over the season and decide that just at the end of fall and the beginning of winter is a great time to torch it. In doing so, however, they more often than not barbecue a number of hedgehogs (and they blame Gypsies for having eaten them all) and other small, often beneficial mammals and insects that have chosen this heap in which to overwinter.
So, think before you burn it and better still, leave the burning till spring. Hedgehogs and others will thank you.
© 2011
