Green Tips #9 – Let the Leaves Lie, A Small Act of Mercy for Creation

For many of our Mercy schools in the United States, autumn means colorful leaves drifting onto school grounds. While leaf blowers may seem like the fastest solution, their convenience comes with serious costs: gas-powered blowers produce high emissions, destroy habitats where insects and pollinators shelter for the winter, create disruptive noise, and strip away the natural nutrients leaves provide to soil and trees. (Learn more about these concerns here.)

At Mercy schools everywhere, we are called to care for creation in ways both practical and meaningful. Choosing gentler methods of leaf management is one way we can model this commitment for our students and families.

What schools can do:

• Talk with your maintenance team about leaving certain areas of campus natural through the winter months.
• Invite student environmental clubs or service groups to join in leaf removal with rakes—turning care for creation into a community effort.
• If leaf removal is necessary, opt for electric blowers over gas-powered ones. A detailed comparison between gas and electric leaf blowers can be found here.
• Communicate with your school families about why they may see more leaves on the ground. You may even inspire them to make small changes at home.
• Consider setting up a petition to outlaw gas-powered leaf blowers in your county if a law to do so is not already in effect.

By taking these steps, Mercy schools can live out our call to care for creation and inspire others to do the same, one leaf at a time.