Environmental group trying to turn Oil fans into leaf fans

Waste Free Edmonton is encouraging Edmontonians not to rake fallen leaves with a campaign that imitates the Edmonton Oilers catchphrases. In this photo, a lawn sign reads "Seasonal leaf fan."

Edmontonians are being asked to become leaf fans – not to be confused with Leafs fans, of course.

Waste Free Edmonton has launched a campaign, imitating the Edmonton Oilers fandom, to discourage residents from raking up the leaves on their lawn.

The non-profit organization has put up billboards in Ice District that read, "Calling all leaf fans," as well as made "seasonal leaf fan" lawn signs.

"This time of year, the puck is dropping, the leaves are dropping, it just made sense to draw that connection," explained Waste Free Edmonton's co-founder and director Sean Stepchuk.

Leaves contain nutrients that are great for soil and can be beneficial to critters like butterflies, which use leaves as cover during the winter, Stepchuk told CTV News Edmonton.

Plus, leaving them is saving time, energy and money, he added.

Waste Free Edmonton provides more information on a webpage called Loyal to the Soil, a play on the phrase "Loyal to the Oil."

Stepchuk hopes the campaign catches hockey fans' attention. He isn't too concerned about inciting the most loyal.

"Even if there's that initial reaction of, 'What the hell?' … I think most people, when they hear that (they) can do something that's better for the environment … I don't see how anyone can really fight against that logic."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Matt Woodman