Conservationists urge Manitobans to hold off on spring yard work

With the freshly melted snow exposing once-hidden grime and debris on many lawns, one conservation organization is urging Manitobans to wait a little longer before tackling their spring yard cleanup.

Nature Conservancy Canada Community Relations Manager Christine Chilton said with Earth Week underway and temperatures getting a bit more tolerable, folks can feel an extra burst of motivation to tidy up.

However, doing it too early in the season can actually be harmful for many creatures and wildlife.

“What we think of as messy is actually habitat for a lot of species,” she told CTV Morning Live Winnipeg’s Rachel Lagacé in an interview Wednesday morning.

“There's a lot of pollinators that are underneath there. There's a lot of insects, and so it looks to us like a pile of leaves or a mess is actually a home, and it protects those species that are hiding under there.”

Chilton said while there’s no ironclad date to start your spring yard clean, a good rule of thumb is to wait until the weather is no longer cold enough where you would not want to be outside without shelter.

Even keeping your cats inside during bird migration can help with their survival.

“We want to give all species their best chance, and so just waiting a little longer gives them that chance.”

- With files from CTV's Rachel Lagacé