Volunteer Colleen Girard shows off her creative pumpkin-painting skills at a recent Visitor Services Ambassador & Volunteer Courier volunteer gathering. Sustainability Tip: Don't Chuck Your Pumpkins! Orange is the color of fall and there are pumpkins everywhere. Although it may be a little late for you who have already carved your pumpkin, hopefully, you used all the insides. Roasted for you to eat, added to salads, cooked for pies, used for pumpkin bread, and the seeds, when dried or roasted without salt, are good for you and the birds. You can also save the seed for next year's pumpkin patch at your home. If you haven't carved your pumpkin but decorated it, then there are lots of recipes to consider. But what to do with the rest of the pumpkin after the season? Did you know that more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkin ends up in the landfill every year?! Two of the easiest ways to keep your pumpkins out of the landfill are to share them with wildlife or compost them. If decorated, you will need to remove any paint, and then it can be composted. Drop off your clean, wax free and paint free pumpkins at Carriage Hill MetroPark beginning November 1st in the designated bins and we'll share your pumpkins with our farm animals for a snack! You can also share your clean, wax and paint free pumpkins with wildlife in your own yard. If you know someone with chickens, pumpkins are a good seasonal treat. You can leave them whole, but it is best if you break them up so birds and other wildlife can easily access the flesh. If this is only a once-a-year treat, it should not create a big issue with visitors to your yard. Composting is another way to recycle your pumpkin. You can cut up or smash the pumpkin into smaller pieces and bury it in your compost pile or bury it in your garden to compost. Pumpkins are 90% water, so they will break down quickly in either situation. Learn more about what to do with your pumpkins here. |
 MetroParks Monthly - November Programs and Events (Don't forget to use your volunteer discount for these great MetroParks programs!) MetroParks is on the Ballot Celebrate Spooky Season with a Hike through History Five Ways to Boost Your Mental Health with Help from the Great Outdoors |
| Volunteer Services is available if you have questions or need assistance with Get Connected. Contact us at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or by phone at #937-275-7275.
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Oct 30, 2024
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by Volunteer Services
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