ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With fall cleanup underway across Albuquerque, a local partnership is asking residents to stop raking in some places. The “Leaving the Leaves” campaign is not messy or lazy; it’s providing an important habitat, said a conservation group.
Laurel Ladwig is the director of the ABQ Backyard Refuge Program, a partnership between the Cuidad Soil and Water Conservation District and Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge. She said keeping fallen leaves where they land has many ecological benefits. “Our desire for neatness removes habitat and right now with our changing world we need to be focused on caring for our wild neighbors and fostering habitat,” said Ladwig.
She said leaves create a winter blanket, locking in moisture and protecting insects and butterfly eggs. It also attracts bird life. “And having things a little less tidy is really helpful. Wildlife likes a bit of wildness,” said Ladwig…