This fall, the City of Ypsilanti is urging residents to “Leave the Leaves.” The fallen leaves provide food and shelter for bees and other insects.
There are a few different ways to participate in the Leave the Leaves movement. Residents can leave the leaves where they fall, rake them into piles in the back corner of the yard or use the leaves to mulch garden beds. However, leaves cannot be left on the sidewalks; the city requires leaves to be raked or blown off the sidewalks. The most important thing is not to shred the leaves, so no pollinators are harmed.
In 2015, the City of Ypsilanti became the 12th certified Bee City USA affiliate. Bee City affiliates make commitments to help make the community better for pollinators. As part of its commitments, Ypsilanti passed a resolution…