How To Recycle Pumpkins For Birds And Wildlife In Oak Forest

OAK FOREST, IL — When the jack-o’-lanterns you carved from the best pumpkins plucked from patches and fields around Oak Forest this fall start looking droopy and sad, they still have life.

While uncarved pumpkins can last two to three months indoors, carved pumpkins usually only last a few days before they start to decay. Streets and porches all over Oak Forest are often filled with the wilting, sagging faces of jack o’-lanterns getting older by the minute.

But as with Christmas trees a few months later, there are many ways you can recycle these pumpkins that will help birds, wildlife and the planet.

• Share the seeds with birds and wildlife.

Pumpkin seeds are a healthy and popular snacking treat for a variety of birds and wildlife, especially as the weather gets colder and food is harder to come by. As your pumpkin starts to soften and fade, collect the seeds from inside, and give them a day or so to dry.

Don’t add any kind of seasoning, even salt, Birds & Blooms advises.

Then scatter the seeds outside, or put them in a birdfeeder or bowl. If you live in an area with bears or other harmful predators, try placing the seeds on an upper level that only birds and smaller animals like squirrels and chipmunks can reach.

• Make A ‘Snack-O’-Lantern’

You can also just cut out the middleman and turn the pumpkin itself into a “snack-o’-lantern pumpkin feeder,” according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Just take the pumpkin, cut it in half, scoop out the middle, and attach the top and bottom halves of the pumpkin with string and several wooden dowels.

Fill the bottom half with either birdseed, pumpkin seeds, or both. See here for more detailed instructions from the National Wildlife Foundation.

• Plant The Seeds Of Future Pumpkins

You could also use the seeds for their intended purpose: making more pumpkins.

To save and store pumpkin seeds for the following year, place the pulp and seeds from the pumpkin inside a colander, according to Gardening Know How. Wash cold water over it, and pick out a few of the largest seeds.

Spread the rinsed seeds far apart from each other on a dry towel, and place that towel in a cool, dry spot for a week.

Place the seeds in a seed envelope, and place the seed envelope in a plastic container with several holes poked in the lid. Put that container in the back of a refrigerator, and get ready to plant your own private pumpkin patch next year.

• Make An Animal Smorgasbord

Animals and birds love pumpkins just as much as people do, so why not give them a special treat? Simply cut the pumpkin into small, bite-sized pieces, and scatter them in a spot where you won’t mind local critters coming to nosh, the National Wildlife Federation advises.

Again, this one is probably best to avoid if bears, foxes, coyotes, rats or any variety of predators and pests are a problem nearby.

• Donate Pumpkins To A Local Zoo

If you feel more comfortable leaving the animal feeding to professionals, consider donating the pumpkin remains to a nearby zoo. Many zoos accept pumpkin donations after Halloween because they are a nutritious snack that most animals love.

• Compost It

If your pumpkin is truly on its last proverbial legs, put its nutrients back into the earth by composting it. Even if you don’t have a compost pile, you can put it in your garden, and many areas offer municipal composting services. Just make sure you take out all the seeds first, lest an impromptu pumpkin patch begins to sprout out of the compost.