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As we clean-up our properties in
the springtime, many of us are inclined to dispose
of this waste by burning it. These fires are a
double edged sword however.
Burning yard debris is the
leading cause of wildland fires not just in
Pennsylvania but nationwide. Regardless of the
conditions, there is never a 100% guarantee that
these fires will not break containment. When
they do, the results can be devastating.
Hundreds, even thousands of acres of wildlands can
be destroyed; often homes and businesses lie in the
path a wildfire's onslaught. The ensuing
conflagration can sometimes take days to fully
contain with millions of dollars spent and thousands
of both man and equipment hours. Lives, both
civilian and and firefighter, are placed at risk and
the environmental impact can be far reaching, albeit
some of these are positive, there are also negative
environmental impacts as well.
Where large stands of vegetation
are destroyed the root mass that prevents soil
erosion is weakened. Runoff can erode the soil
causing sedimentation in streams and rivers as well
as decreasing pH. Our forests are also home to
a great many threatened and endangered plants and
animals that rely on their habitats for survival.
If these habitats are destroyed, so are the species
that depend on them.
If these arguments are not
compelling enough, consider this. If you are
conducting a controlled burn of any type, and that
fire breaks out (escapes containment), you are
responsible. This means that you will have to
pay the cost of extinguishing the fire. You
can be held liable for damages to other people's
properties. You could even find yourself
facing criminal charges that carry penalties of both
fines and imprisonment.
So many people argue "what else
do I do with my yard waste; the trash collector
won't accept it." This is true, many
sanitation companies will not accept yard debris
anymore as landfills often will not accept it either,
because it just takes up so much valuable space in
the landfill. Consider making brush piles for
wildlife, chipping/mulching, or another method that
is rapidly rising in popularity, composting.
The best part is these are all environmentally
friendly in many ways.
Brush Piles for Wildlife -
Wildlife thrives when given cover for protection.
We can create such cover with the debris that falls
from trees every year. The simplest means to
make cover for wildlife is to make brush piles.
As you clean-up your yard debris, take all of the
fallen branches to the back of your yard near the
wood line and just pile them up. neatly lined
up, criss-crossed, this way, that way, any way, it
really doesn't matter too much. The object is
the same, to dispose of your yard debris in a manner
that helps prevent wildfires while giving some
forest critters a happy home.
This brush pile makes a
great home
for a variety of
wildlife.
Chipping/Mulching -
Grinding your yard debris into chips or mulch is
another alternative to burning. In fact, if
you would like to compost your yard debris,
especially larger items such as tree branches, you
will want to grind them up first. Even if you
do not want to compost, braches can be ground into
much for flower and landscaping beds. Mulch
controls weeds and also helps to retain moisture in
the soil below. Eventually these materials
will decay anyway returning vital nutrients to the
soil helping your plants and shrubs thrive.
Wood chips make
excellent mulch for
flower and landscaping
beds.
Composting - Organic materials, which is what
yard debris are, decay naturally. Composting
helps this process along. The easiest form of
composting is to place yard debris on a pile in an
out of the way corner of your property and simply
allow them to rot. There are ways to
accelerate the process a bit and many commercially
available devices for composting, but the end result
is still the same, nutrient rich humus that can be
added to gardens to nourish the soil. Anyone
with even the slightest bit of green in their thumb
can tell you this will result in more abundant crops
in vegetable and herb gardens and bigger more
vibrant blooms in flower gardens.
In time, a compost pile
will yield mounds of rich
humus that can fertilize
any type of garden.
We strongly advocate any of the
above methods
because they are win-win-win for homeowners, our
forests, and the
environment in general. In this day of Go Green,
these allow us to do just that while avoiding
the risk of a controlled burn getting away.
If you think you may want to give
composting a try and wonder how to begin, there are
many great resources on the Internet. Here are
some links to some pages that provide information on
composting. Clicking on any of these links
will open a new browser window.
VegWeb.com - Introduction To Composting
HowToCompost.org
Composting 101
Composting For Kids
Build a Compost Bin - Lowe's Creative Ideas
Composting Videos:
How To Make Compost - YouTube
Building a Compost Turner - YouTube
How to Compost at Home with a Composting Bin -
Lowe's How To Videos |
