The last thing our already overloaded landfills need is a glut of holiday pumpkins. Here are several ways to make use of your pumpkins. I am going to choose the wildlife route — my resident pesky squirrel, Rocky the racoon and the shy opossum will have a feast.

Pass Along Your Pumpkins

Don’t want to deal with the after the holiday pumpkins? No worries—there are plenty of places that may take them off your hands. See if you can donate them to zoos, animal shelters, farms, or community gardens. They’ll be grateful for the compost material or animal snacks. Look local; some towns do a pumpkin collection drive after Halloween, and some farms put out calls for local pumpkin donations.

Feed the Birds

Turn your Halloween pumpkin into a bird feeder. Just cut a pumpkin in half horizontally, empty the cavity, and fill it with birdseed. Either leave it out, as is, or hang it from a tree with several lengths of thick twine or rope wrapped under the base.

You can also add the pumpkin seeds to your regular birdseed. Rinse and dry the seeds before mixing them in.

 Create Compost

Pumpkins make a great addition to your compost.  Because they’re mostly water, they decompose quickly, but it’ll go even faster if you break them apart first. Turn pumpkin compositing into a fun family pumpkin smashing party.

Pumpkin composting is pretty simple. Just remember to remove the seeds first, so your gourds don’t root in the pile.

Feed the Wildlife

Your old Halloween pumpkin also makes the perfect snack for neighborhood wildlife, especially if you have resident squirrels. Once you’re done displaying your pumpkins, cut them up into sections and place pieces around your yard. Deer, rabbits, and other creatures will make short work of them.

Editor’s Note: Don’t give animals any painted pumpkins, as the paint can be toxic if ingested.