Leaf Peeping (and Raking)

Though we usually associate the start of the fall season with Labor Day, the season officially turned just last week.  Fall is synonymous with the changing of leaves, with many folks drawn to forest drives this time of year to enjoy the autumn colors.  For those zoos which are lucky enough to be located in wooded areas - especially those in forested parks with lots of older, bigger trees, the effect can be pretty spectacular.  I sometimes feel like we have as many visitors these months who've come to walk beneath the trees and enjoy the crisp air than we do to see the animals.

Those leaves don't stay up forever, though, and they do eventually drop.  Leaf removal is a major job this time of year - but I try to leave some of them where they lie.  At least for a while.  For animals with outdoor enclosures, I consider fall leaves to be excellent enrichment.   They provide new scents and substrates and textures for the animals to enjoy, to root around through or sniff and roll around in.  You can also rake them up into large piles, then hide treats or toys in there for the animals to dive in after.

In other areas, off the visitor paths and out of planted areas, I like to let the leaves lie as well.  A lot of small native critters overwinter in the leaf litter or lay their eggs in it.  Raking it up and sending it away to compost can disrupt their populations - not only bad for them, but problematic for the birds and other species that feed on those now-missing bugs.  So take a lesson from here for your own home as well.  You aren't being lazy by leaving those leaves in the yard until spring.  You're a conservation-minded naturalist!