Brush Piles
Why build a brush pile?
Brush piles provide valuable habitat for many wildlife species.
They provide cover for escaping predators, resting, feeding, sheltering, raising young.
Natural decomposition contributes to soil fertility by returning nutrients to the ground.
Who uses brush piles?
Mammals (rabbits, skunks, raccoons, foxes…)
Birds (towhees, thrashers, cardinals, sparrows, grouse…)
Amphibians, reptiles (turtles, salamanders, frogs, snakes…)
Insects
Piling vs. burning brush
A decaying brush pile releases carbon into the atmosphere much more slowly than burning does, allowing carbon to eventually sequester into the soil.
Burning rapidly adds CO2 into the air, and produces other harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide and soot.