Living Lightly: ‘Tis the pumpkin season

A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

As Halloween nears, countless front porches in neighborhoods throughout the North Shore will be adorned with pumpkins of many shapes, sizes and expressions. But soon, following Halloween but perhaps lasting until Thanksgiving, their use as ornaments to frighten, amuse, and delight will end and homeowners are faced with what to do with them. Nationally, this is no small issue, as the United States Department of Agriculture notes about one billion pounds of pumpkins are thrown away each fall. 

If you’re looking for a more environmentally beneficial alternative than putting pumpkins in your curbside trash where they can cause methane production problems, you can: 

1) Compost your pumpkins (breaking them into smaller pieces accelerates the composting process); 

2) If there’s a farm, petting zoo, or a neighbor with chickens, bring them your pumpkins to nourish their animals;

3) Leave the pumpkins in a back corner to feed squirrels and other backyard wildlife through the cold season; or

4) Consume them! Puree the flesh for soup, pie or pumpkin bread and roast and salt the seeds (high in several minerals).    

By following one of these practices you’ll conclude your celebration of the fall holiday season in a way that also celebrates the planet! 

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.