The leaves are turning, the temperatures are dipping, and Halloween is right around the corner. Pumpkin carving and the golden glow of jack-o'-lantern grins on a crisp autumn evening are a delightful part of the season for young and old. But here's the scary truth - roughly 1.3 billion pumpkins end up in US landfills every year! Want your Halloween pumpkins to avoid this grim fate? Here are some ideas:

Eat Them: No, not the actual jack-o'-lantern pumpkin. While there are many delicious pumpkins available for cooking, a carving pumpkin will probably be bland, stringy, and watery in comparison. Additionally, a carved pumpkin left on the front porch for weeks will not be safe to eat because of bacterial contamination and spoilage. However, when you carve your jack-o'-lantern, the seeds you scoop out can be cleaned, roasted, and enjoyed as a delicious snack. Another approach to pumpkin decor is to specifically select edible pumpkins, display them without carving, and then enjoy them in pies, breads, soups, and more later in the season. You can also simply cut and roast them as a simple and delicious side dish.

Compost Them: Old pumpkins can be turned into compost, which builds soil health and supports plant growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Just remember to remove extra decorations or avoid them altogether. While paint, glitter, and hairspray can look vibrant and fun on a pumpkin, they are non-organic materials that don't break down in a compost pile. Chopping up your pumpkin can also help the decomposition process go more quickly. If you don't have a backyard compost pile, there are still lots of great options for composting your pumpkins in Santa Fe, such as bringing them to a community composting site like Reunity Resources Farm or signing up for a compost collection program. You can learn more about composting options in Santa Fe County here.

Feed Them to Animals: Mold-free and untreated pumpkins can be a fun treat for local animals. Whether you split them and fill them with bird seed for local birds, leave them out for deer and squirrels, or give them to a local farmer for their animals, your old pumpkin can be a food source instead of landfill fodder. Just remember, you may want to think twice about leaving old pumpkins out in your yard if there are bears in your area.

Whatever option you choose, your pumpkins will be making a positive impact while avoiding a dark fate in the landfill.

Come celebrate National Drive Electric Month at this electric vehicle showcase in downtown Santa Fe! Discover the benefits of driving electric and connect with EV drivers, vendors, and exhibitors to learn how to electrify your transportation. Whether you're an EV owner, enthusiast, or just curious about electric vehicles, this event is your chance to explore the future of driving.

This free electric car show will take place on October 4th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can learn more on the Santa Fe Tourism website here and the National Drive Electric Month website here.

REGENERATE 2025 will take place at the Santa Fe Convention Center on November 5 - 7. This annual gathering brings together ranchers, farmers, conservationists, land managers, scientists, and thought leaders to share knowledge, build community, and create a culture of resilience and regeneration.

This year’s conference, Cultivating Adaptability, will highlight how people from all walks of life are responding to and igniting change through land management practices that help them work in partnership with nature, collaborate with communities, or adapt to changing markets and climates.

In addition to standard conference attendance options, many events on November 5 are free to the general public. However, pre-registration is required to clarify anticipated attendance. You can learn more about the schedule here and register here.

Each fall, birds like the Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, and Lark Sparrow migrate through New Mexico as part of their seasonal journey. September and October are the peak migration period, and you can view BirdCast’s real-time estimations and predictions for Santa Fe County here.

Much of this travel occurs under the cover of darkness, and bright lights at night can disorient these birds and lead to collisions. The good news is that some small changes can make a big difference. Minimizing non-essential light between 11 pm and 6 am can help keep these birds safe during their fall migration (while also potentially lowering your energy bill).

Here are some specific actions you can take:

• Turn off non-essential outdoor lights at night, especially upward-facing lights.
• Add downward shields on exterior lights to minimize upward glare.
• Install motion sensors and automatic controls where possible.
• Minimize decorative lighting around buildings.
• Turn off interior lights in empty rooms at night, especially on upper floors.
• Close blinds and curtains to reduce light from windows.

You can learn more about the Audubon Lights Out program here.

If you're interested in everyday strategies for supporting birds, consider implementing window-collision prevention methods such as screens or decals. Window collisions are one of the leading direct human causes of bird mortality, mainly because birds can’t see glass in the same way people do. Creating barriers or visual clues can help birds recognize that there is a solid object, whether this is through external screens, special glass, or patterns on reflective glass surfaces (quantity and spacing matter: multiple markings 2 to 4 inches apart are recommended). You can learn more about reducing window collisions from this article, which includes links to various resources like this brochure.