Regarding the latter, there are many options available to you: Human and bird consumption, donation and composting, among other suggestions. SEE ALSO: 5 Things To Do With Your Pumpkins After Halloween But there is one gesture that should be avoided. Don’t throw a pumpkin in a forest or natural area, says the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). While it may sound like a green idea, tossing your pumpkin in the woods could inadvertently make wildlife sick, in addition to other impacts from people choosing to dump debris in natural areas, he says. Mhairi McFarlane, NCC director of science and management in Ontario; . (Matt Eberle/Unsplash) “Congregating animals around an unnatural food source can put them at greater risk of disease transmission and if the site is close to a road, it can increase the risk of them being hit by vehicles, which can also injure motorists,” he said. McFarlane. “While pumpkins can be tasty and attract animals like deer, elk, raccoons and squirrels, they don’t need additional food.” Instead, McFarlane recommends people compost pumpkins at home or through local initiatives. This can keep pumpkins out of trash and landfills. Contacting local farms, wildlife rehabilitation centers and zoos are also favorable options, as they may accept them for feeding or enrichment, he noted.
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There have been cases where people have dumped pumpkins on NCC conservation lands. While the organic material will decompose, it can take time to finish, a process that can be “unpleasant” to some people, McFarlane said. Also, dumping anything on private land is illegal, he noted, and may encourage others to dump additional items, which may not decompose. McFarlane wrote a blog about the life of the pumpkin after Halloween, which offers additional information about its new uses and why its improper disposal can be harmful to animals and the environment. Thumbnail courtesy of Pexels. Follow Nathan Howes on Twitter.
