52. Leave The Leaves: Tips for supporting Nature in your Garden with David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation

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Welcome to episode 52 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I’m delighted to be joined in conversation by David Mizejewski, a Naturalist and self-confessed Nature Geek who works for the National Wildlife Federation. 

You may have come across David before as he is a regular in the media including having presented a popular series on Animal Planet called Backyard Habitat that showed people how to transform their yards & gardens into spaces where nature can thrive. 

Together we take a dive into how to manage our gardens in the fall and autumn, David explains why leaving the leaves is so important, from the mirad of surprising wildlife that are dependent on the leaf litter to the benefits of reducing your environmental impact and saving yourself time and money whilst ensuring a healthier garden. 

To avoid feeling overwhelm David shares his Pro Tips on how you can keep as many leaves as possible at home from utilising them for mulch on flower beds to composting, but also importantly reminds us to be gentle with ourselves and simply do the best we can. 

Gardening for wildlife is an empowering solution to the many multiple crisis our environment faces and the National Wildlife Federation have a large number of resources to help you get involved and begin your journey to create a paradise for nature at home.

David’s enthusiasm for nature is truly infectious and my conversation with him filled me with both hope and inspiration which I hope will have you looking at Autumn leaves with a whole new level of wonder. If you #leavetheleaves this year make sure to share your pictures with David & I to celebrate choosing to be a garden hero, stewarding your patch of the earth to ensure nature, wildlife and people can thrive. 

Learn more about David:

David Mizejewski is a naturalist, author and television presenter with the National Wildlife Federation. He holds a degree in Human and Natural Ecology from Emory University and is an expert on wildlife and our environment. He is dedicated to using his knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm to help others understand and protect the natural world. David regularly appears in the media to promote wildlife conservation.

Website: https://naturalist.nwf.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmizejewski

LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/dmizejewski

X: https://x.com/Dmizejewski

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmizejewski

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidMizejewski

October is Leave the Leaves Month: https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Join-the-Movement/Seasonal-Initiatives/Leave-the-Leaves-Month

The National Wildlife Federation completed their second annual Leave the Leaves survey and found: 

  • 90% of those surveyed are willing to leave or repurpose leaves to benefit wildlife and the environment, however 
  • 52% of people are required to rake their leaves by either a homeowner’s association, a city ordinance, or a combination of both
  • 53% said they currently repurpose raked or collected leaves for mulch or compost 
  • 23% of people said they throw away between 6-10 bags of leaves in the trash per year
  • 11% said they dispose of more than 10 bags of leaves per year in the trash
  • 15% of people actually leave their leaves in their yard.

Full press release can be found here

Davis’s Pro Tips For Leaving the Leaves: https://blog.nwf.org/2023/10/pro-tips-for-leaving-the-leaves

Other Useful Resources:

National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/

Certify your garden with NWF: Save 10% when you certify and purchase a sign- Use code FALL10 https://certifiedwildlifehabitat.nwf.org/

Podcast Episode with Shubber Ali Garden For Wildlife: https://fionamackayphotography.com/2024/06/47-the-garden-revolution-planting-native-plants-with-shubber-ali-garden-for-wildlife-by-national-wildlife-federation/

Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife by David Mizejewski

Fire Safe Landscaping Tip-sheet: https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/Garden-for-Wildlife/Tip-Sheets/Minimizing-Fire-Risk-in-Wildlife-Friendly-Gardens-Tipsheet.pdf 

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.

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