Leave the Leaves

Between the drop in temperatures and the changing colors of the leaves, it’s clear that fall is upon us. The Leave the Leaves campaign is the Zoological Society of Milwaukee‘s fall conservation effort aimed at spreading awareness and encouraging our local community members to do their part by not raking and disposing of their leaves.

The message is simple: When the leaves fall from the trees, don’t rake them up — leave them where they lay. By leaving the leaves, it provides the sheltered environment that insects like bumble bees, fireflies, butterflies and moths need in order to survive the cold months of winter and emerge once again in the spring. If participants still want to rake their yards, they can move the leaves into garden beds to form natural mulch and protection for the pollinators.

In conjunction with the campaign, the Zoological Society is also offering a limited-time animal sponsorship of the monarch butterflies. A $50 sponsorship of the monarchs comes with a butterfly snap bracelet plush toy, a milkweed seed packet to create a perfect place for monarchs to lay their eggs and to feed monarch caterpillars, an invitation to a behind-the-scenes event for animal sponsors at the Zoo and more. While Monarchs do not hibernate in the leaves, their fellow friends do —plus, they are important pollinators we need to support by eliminating chemicals and planting native species like milkweed.

For more information on Leave the Leaves, visit zoosociety.org/leavetheleaves
For more information on Monarch Butterfly sponsorship, visit zoosociety.org/sponsoranimal

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.