Darien Land Trust Launches Leave the Leaves Initiative

This fall, the Darien Land Trust (DLT) invites the community to embrace a simple yet impactful practice: Leave the Leaves! By letting fallen leaves remain on the ground, you’re not just skipping yard work—you’re creating a vital habitat for wildlife, supporting pollinators, and enriching the soil for a healthier spring garden.

Leaving leaves where they fall or collecting them in designated areas allows nature to work its magic. As the leaves gradually decompose, they transform into a nutrient-rich mulch, naturally fertilizing the soil. This process releases nitrogen essential for plant growth, suppresses weeds, and helps retain moisture in the soil. More than just garden benefits, leaf piles provide essential winter shelter for butterflies, moths, and other insects, which in turn become an important food source for backyard birds. When spring arrives, these insects help sustain bird populations as they raise their young.

“We need to shift away from seeing leaves as debris and instead recognize them as a seasonal gift,” says Julie Jones, Vice President of the DLT Board. “By leaving some leaves in place, we create crucial habitats for wildlife and insects. Since I began this practice and have been encouraging my neighbors to do the same, I’ve seen more birds and animals in my yard throughout the winter, and an increase in pollinators come spring.”

The Darien Land Trust is proud to announce the Darien Community Association (DCA) as a key partner in this community-wide call to action, leading by example. You will soon see lawn signs designating leaf collection areas on its Meadowlands property. “We can always do better to protect the needs of future generations,” says Liza Smith, President of the DCA Board of Directors. “This initiative supports sustainability and the environment by leaning into new ways to protect pollinators and wildlife across our properties and in the Bird Sanctuary and Nature Trail. We hope many will join us in this initiative.”

Chris Filmer, lifelong naturalist and conservation advocate, echoes the sentiment: “When we admire our lawns and gardens, let’s remember that fallen leaves provide benefits to nature itself, including insects and birds. It’s time to drop the rakes and leaf blowers and remember to let nature take its course. I’m delighted the DLT and DCA are leading by example for our community.”

Follow the steps below to preserve natural habitat for wintering pollinators and protect an entire ecosystem in the process. For more information, email info@darienlandtrust.org or visit www.darienlandtrust.org.

To get started:

• Find areas of the yard to make leaf piles, such as mulched beds and under large trees
• Mix in some grass clippings for extra nitrogen
• On occasion, aerate the leaves with a rake
• To speed up the process, mow the leaves to mulch them

About the Darien Land Trust – Our Mission
The Darien Land Trust is a community-based nonprofit organization that preserves natural space, connects our community with nature and promotes conservation awareness to protect land now and forever.