Don’t want to rake your leaves? Good. It’s better for your yard

Northern Michigan Fall Colors 2024

A piece of birch in a pile of fallen leaves in Benzie County, Mich. on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Looking for a reason not to rake your leaves this fall? There are plenty of them, officials said.

“If raking and bagging fall leaves is an outdoor chore you dread, listen up!” the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said in a news release. “There are some good reasons to scratch this from your to-do list.”

RELATED: DNR has 3 tips for what to do with all those leaves this fall

The No. 1 reason, according to the DNR, is that leaves are the winter habitat of little critters. That includes butterflies, moths, bees, salamanders, turtles. They rely on fallen leaves for shelter or food.

“As you prep your outdoor spaces for winter, try not to be too orderly – leaving a bit of natural chaos is just how many species like it,” according to the DNR.

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