The Woodland Trust has issued a Halloween plea to witches, wizards and spooks everywhere not to endanger wildlife by dumping pumpkins in woodland.
A menace to wildlife: Halloween pumpkins are not wanted in the woods
The country’s largest woodland conservation charity has noticed Halloween pumpkins being taken to the nearest wood and left, in a well-meaning but misguided attempt to provide food for birds and wildlife.
“People think they’re doing a good thing by not binning them in landfill and instead leaving them for nature,” said Paul Bunton of the Woodland Trust.
“But pumpkin flesh can be dangerous for hedgehogs, attracts colonies of rats and also has a really detrimental effect on woodland soils, plants and fungi.
“We can’t leave dumped pumpkins to rot so we end up with an orange mushy mess to deal with at many of our sites.”
The Woodland Trust has tips on its website on how spooky leftovers can be best used, including making a pumpkin birdfeeder for the garden, which should be kept high off the ground well away from hedgehogs.
Trevor Weeks from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service echoed the Trust’s concern over the risk to hedgehogs because, like other wildlife “they are opportunistic eaters and they spend autumn and early winter building up their fat reserves for hibernation.
Under threat: hedgehogs need help, not pumpkins
“As a result, hedgehogs can gorge themselves on easily available food like dumped pumpkins. Although not toxic to them, the fleshy fibrous fruit can cause stomach upsets and diarrhoea, as they are not designed to eat large quantities of fruit.
“This can lead to them becoming bloated and dangerously dehydrated which in turn can be fatal. At this time of year, they can’t afford to become ill, or they may not survive the winter hibernation.”
According to the Trust, which owns and cares for more than 1,000 free-to-visit woods across the country, the pumpkin problem seems to be starting earlier and earlier, with supermarkets flooded with cheap pumpkins for sale and pumpkin-picking growing in popularity as a family activity in the run-up to Halloween.
Bunton said, “Thousands of tons of pumpkin gets thrown away after Halloween each year, so it would be great if we could all put that to better use.
“We are urging people everywhere to make soup, make a birdfeeder for your garden, but please don’t make a mess of the countryside!”
The Woodland Trust’s Love Your Woods campaign encourages people to enjoy their visit while helping protect woods and nature for the future. Visitors can play their part by following some simple advice, including staying fire-free, staying on paths, taking dog mess and litter home and protecting wildlife by keeping dogs close.
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