Skip to main content

Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Eco-Friendly Fall Yard Cleanup

Eco-Friendly Yard Cleanup

Anton MirMar/Shutterstock.com

As first frosts arrive, annual plants die back and perennials begin to go dormant. This can create a considerable amount of leaf litter and dead stalks as the once-lush garden and yard turn brown. Many people mow and rake up the debris so that the ground is neat and bare. This winter, consider allowing at least some of this fallen foliage to remain where it lands. This will benefit the local ecosystem and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in landfills. 


Offer Shelter to Beneficial Creatures


When temperatures drop, many insects live or leave eggs in fallen plant materials. By resisting the urge to tidy our yards, we can protect biodiversity and preserve beneficial bugs, such as stick insects, pill bugs and millipedes. While bumblebees hibernate underground, other bee species find their way into the hollow stems of native plants to rest and wait for spring. Certain butterflies find cozy shelter in plant litter, and some caterpillars roll themselves up in fallen leaves. Toads and salamanders lie dormant in the ground or under the protection of plant debris. 


Provide Food for Birds and Small Critters


Birds are drawn to highly textured landscapes with a diversity of plants. They feed on seed heads left standing and forage for insects among the litter. When snow piles up on fallen foliage, voles and mice scavenge through the debris for seeds and nuts. Squirrels and opossums may find edibles in the layers of mulch. The extra plant material on the ground creates habitats for more spring insects that will benefit birds, toads and other creatures when the snow melts. 


Preserve Root Systems


Perennial root systems tucked in for winter with a protective blanket of garden waste are less likely to be harmed by extreme cold temperatures. The ground is also less likely to freeze and thaw as the temperatures vary.    


Foster Healthy Soil


Take a walk through the woods in the fall. Leaves drop; plants die back; and the ground is carpeted with a rich layer of composting materials. This loamy soil in the woods is some of the healthiest to be found. In the spring, plants reappear through the layer of humus without effort. 


Unburden the Landfill


If saving the plants, insects and birds isn’t motivation enough, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that yard debris takes up as much as 6 percent of all waste in landfills, producing methane as it breaks down. If the garden or yard must be cleaned up, pile the material onsite or take it to a compost site, instead of putting it in the trash. 

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

Follow Us On Facebook