Were you among the 20 million Americans that put up a real Christmas tree? Most of the Fraser firs and blue spruces so lovingly decorated last Christmas ended up in the same place: the curb.
But what else is there to do with your tree? One community has come up with a unique disposal method. The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District in Truckee, California is employing a herd of goats – with their infamously indiscriminate appetites – to process needles. Tree trunks will be turned into mulch for parks.
In Midway Beach, New Jersey, discarded trees are used to stabilize sand dunes decimated by Hurricane Sandy. In Keene, New Hampshire old trees and wreaths create fish habitat in the region’s lakes and ponds. In Cook County, Illinois Christmas trees provide nesting structure for herons and egrets at Baker’s Lake Nature Reserve.
Speaking of birds, if you are feeling creative your Christmas tree can have a second life as a bird feeder. Simply move it to a backyard location and create edible ornaments with some string, bird seed, peanut butter, pine cones, and suet.
Many county recycling programs accept Christmas trees. Next year, see if your department of public works accepts mulch trees. New York City’s Department of Recreation holds an annual Christmas tree MulchFest. There is something satisfying about knowing the evergreen that decorated your living room can be chipped, shredded, and used to make a winter bed for a street tree.
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Photo, posted December 3, 2013, courtesy of Stephen Woods via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio, with script contribution from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.