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Do you leave your leaves?

Donnetta Elsasser

Every year about this time there is a new article out about why it is beneficial to leave your leaves in your yard, instead of raking them up and getting rid of them.

Instead of an article this year, I'm going to give you some images to consider. Is this a topic that you might discuss with your students?

        

Parents

  • It's interesting because we live in a big city (Philadelphia), where there isn't much places for the leaves to go. They mostly just sit on the sidewalk unless they are swept and bagged. So what I have been doing and encouraging others to do gather them and put them back around the few trees in the tree pits on any given blocks. This can sometimes lead to a large mound of leaves around the tree pits, because there is so little actual soil for these leaves to be placed, but this is good, especially now, because we are in the middle of a drought and any protection that the soil can have from leaves is so important. Another tricky aspect to this is usually the leaves are completely mixed in with garbage and trash, so an extra step is to pick out the trash first, leave the leaves, and then group the leaves in a tree pit. It's somewhat of a tall order! But it's something that I do, and something that I've been speaking with my world history kids about, because we do a land unit where we touch on climate change and the importance of trees in our city for climate adaptation. and resilience.

  • in reply to Freda Anderson

    This sounds amazing,  .

    It is a tall order, but if students can be involved in DOING something about what they are learning it will make a bigger impression. Kudos to you!

    And as yucky and time-consuming as it is to separate the garbage from the leaves, that's another good experience toward understanding effects of pollution.

    If students do get to do this civic project, will you also be able to fit in some way for them to report out their experiences to a wider audience? That would be golden.

  • in reply to Donnetta Elsasser

    Thank you! Two years ago they spoke at a WHYY event about climate injustice in the city and brought it up then. But I haven't planned any sort of public sharing since. I should do that!

  • in reply to Donnetta Elsasser

     I love that this is a simple yet impactful action that students can get involved in. Great idea about reporting to a wider audience  

    ...and yes, I do leave my leaves. Less work and better for the environment? Absolutely!

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