Why you can’t ditch old pumpkins in forest preserves

Neighborhood squirrels may have left the Halloween pumpkins on your front porch looking more sad than scary.

If you need to get rid of a deflated jack-o’-lantern, don’t toss it into your local forest preserve.

The agency behind viral cicada emergence videos has released a spooky PSA reminding people that dumping pumpkins in DuPage County forest preserves is a no-no.

The leftover seeds will sprout in the spring and hurt conservation efforts, according to a forest preserve district video posted on social media.

“Pumpkin dumping represents a disconnect between our daily habits and the long-term health of our natural areas,” Scott Kobal, a district ecologist, said in a statement. “When we introduce foreign organic matter, like pumpkins, we inadvertently tip the scales, impacting not just wildlife but also the soil. These changes to the forest floor might take years to reverse.”

Pumpkins can smother delicate native plants important to area wildlife, the district said in a news release. And as rotting pumpkins decompose, they turn into breeding grounds for bacteria, fungi and viruses. Those “unhealthy microhabitats can negatively affect local plants and soil,” according to the release.

Oh, and it’s illegal to dump anything in a county forest preserve and can lead to fines.

The district recommends composting pumpkins at home or at a composting facility. SCARCE, an environmental education nonprofit group based in Addison, will host a “Pumpkin Smash” event Saturday to keep pumpkins out of landfills.

In Naperville, residents can bring their withered pumpkins to be smashed and composted into the soil at the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots, 811 S. West St., from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20241104/news/why-you-cant-ditch-old-pumpkins-in-forest-preserves/