If you’re looking at the dead leaves all over your lawn and groaning at the thought of raking them all up, you’re in luck; an environmental expert is encouraging you not to.

Rebekah Neufeld is the Acting Conservation Science Manager for the Manitoba Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. According to Neufeld, leaving deposits of leaves and plant waste on your lawns or in your gardens is a great way of increasing animal activity in your backyard.

Neufeld says the extra protective layer can insulate insects and small mammals, allowing them to overwinter more easily. The leftover seeds and plant matter can also be useful to migratory birds trying to eat as much as they can before heading south.

“Those leaves can actually provide a habitat and food resources for wildlife using your backyard and increase the biodiversity you have right outside your door,” she details.

Neufeld encourages people to leave their dead leaves and old plants in their garden as it will help the wildlife this coming winter. Understanding that not everyone wants their lawns to be conducive to housing creepy crawlies, she adds that letting the natural debris lie can also be helpful to flowering plants next spring.

“Pollinators like solitary bees often burrow into the ground and, with the added warmth, they are more likely to survive.” She adds the decomposing waste will act as fertilizer in gardens and improve the quality of the soil as well.

Neufeld acknowledges that people might be dissuaded from leaving such compost in their yards simply because of the disorderly appearance but says, in her mind, trading an immaculate property for one more inviting to animals is a worthwhile venture.

“Changing our idea of what is aesthetically pleasing is something to consider,” she remarks. “The wildlife and the things you will see may be a nice exchange for a uniform lawn.”

While a thick layer of leaves can hurt your grass, Neufeld says generally homeowners will notice very few repercussions to neglecting the rake this season.