Leaf It Alone!

Happy Autumn!

Yesterday marked the first day of fall, my favorite season... and not just because Krispy Kreme has those awesome pumpkin spice cake donuts (though I am very partial to those).

Early autumn is a great time of year.  The craziness of the summer has died off, the fall field trips haven't started up yet, it's still warm enough for most of the animals to be out enjoying themselves, and it just feels like there's more time to get stuff done.

We get some great, long-overdue projects done this time of year.  We also get a lot of raking down.  You'll note that I didn't include that in the former.

Raking leaves is something we all wind up doing for aesthetic purposes.  In our exhibits, there can be a health benefit too.  I try not to leave the enclosures looking bare and sterile, with just dirt, but every once in a while I like to rake the entire thing out, just so I'm sure that any hidden fecal matter, uneaten food, etc is cleared away.  Then, I let a new blanket of leaves accumulate.  It's a fun substrate for animals to play in and forage in - plus, have you ever seen a snow leopard jump into a giant leaf pile?  It's pretty awesome.

Outside of the animal areas, however, I try to just let leaves be.  They provide a habitat for all sorts of small animals, including a substrate that might be essential for hibernating critters.  I'd also hate to think of how many small animals I've scooped up and sent off to the compost heaps while raking.

If you can get away without it, consider skipping raking once in a while.  Give your local wildlife - and your back - a break.  Leaf it be...