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Practice of burning leaves should be outlawed

The community would be well served if people composted the leaves that they rake up.
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Practice of burning leaves should be outlawed

We are doing the opening shift at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre. There is a blue haze to the west. Most of this is due to smoke from wood burning stoves, fireplaces and automotive exhausts, but a significant amount is coming from burning leaves. This autumnal practice should be outlawed.

The community would be well served if people composted the leaves that they rake up. If one does not have a compost at home, the choices are a) take them to Bings Creek, b) put them in a compostable container and let the municipal compost pick-up take them there or, c) let them lie on the lawn. By next spring the 2019 leaves will be decayed and well on their way to returning to the soil-plant nutrient cycle.

Steve Mitchell

Duncan