Dumping pumpkins in the woods is bad for wildlife says Forestry England.
As millions of pumpkins hit supermarket shelves and make their way to gardens, porches, and windowsills across the region, Forestry England is reminding members of the public not to leave spent pumpkins in forests or woodlands.
Each year, well-meaning social media posts circulate that encourage people to leave pumpkins in the woods for wildlife to eat. But pumpkins are not natural to woodlands and can make some animals very poorly, such as our declining population of hedgehogs. Decomposing food waste can also attract pests and spread disease.
Instead, Forestry England recommends getting creative in the kitchen to use up Halloween pumpkins or recycling them at home.
Forestry England senior ecologist, Sam Pegler said:
“While it’s wonderful that people want to do their bit for nature, leaving rotting pumpkins in the countryside isn’t good for wildlife. Some animal centres may accept a small number of pumpkins for their residents, but these are carefully given to appropriate species and removed before they rot down. This isn’t possible in a forest setting, so is best avoided completely.
My favourite way to use pumpkin is to explore the countless free and tasty recipes online. It isn’t all about soup, pumpkin is brilliant for stews, curries, pies, and even pasta and risotto dishes. If pumpkin really isn’t your thing, it can be disposed of in your food recycling container or composted at home. The high water content of pumpkin makes it a great composting material to add nitrogen and moisture to your compost bin.”
You can join us on our social media pages, follow us on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Threads where you can keep up to date with whats going on in South Devon.
Got a news story, blog or press release that you’d like to share or want to advertise with us? Get in touch via email admin@wearesouthdevon.com
