As your tanned coworkers return from tropical places, the sparkle of the lights begins to dim, and the Christmas spirit is not-so-gradually replaced with a renewed work fervor, you may find yourself thinking about throwing out your Christmas tree. But the mild onset of depression tied to tossing the symbol of the "most wonderful time of the year" may be cured with some insight into how governments are using disposed of Christmas trees in innovative and useful ways to keep the spirit of giving alive...or at least reincarnated.
Take the Louisiana government for example. Through the Department of Natural Resources, individuals can donate their old Christmas trees to protect the Louisiana shoreline. Old trees are lined up in front of coastal wetlands, like those in the Calcasieu Parish coastal restoration
project, to aid in protecting these important marine habitats and nearby human-populated areas from erosion and storm surges. The old trees aid in retaining sediments essential to building up land mass and for defensive barriers against erosion from waves, which in turn allows more plants to grow and serve as additional protections from the elements.
“Every two to four miles of wetlands decreases storm surge by one
foot,” said Fred Stouder, marsh restoration coordinator for Southeastern Louisiana University's Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station, which has been helping coordinate such recycling efforts since 1994. The University's work alone has helped place more than 32,000 recycled trees, and
transplant more than 3,000 cypress trees and 19,000 other plants.
“People may not realize it, but by restoring and
protecting our wetlands, we are also helping preserve a breeding ground
for seafood,” said Stouder. “In addition to fighting erosion, the trees also help establish
and preserve animal habitats extremely well for wetland animals such as
ducks."
Similarly, in Alabama, about 300 Christmas trees were used to help
rebuild the dunes along the coast in Alabama following Hurricane Ivan
in 2004, according to the National
Christmas Tree Association.
And in Northwest Montana, Christmas trees collected are being used as “brush bundles” to prevent bank erosion on the lower Flathead River. "Those trees were stacked in between two rows of vertical posts,
protecting about 600 feet of badly eroding riverbank near the head of
Flathead Lake," reported DailyInterlake.com. The wall of 3,000 bundled trees helps deflect boat wakes,
current erosion and wind-driven waves. Over time, the wall actually strengthens as it collects debris and sediment carried down the river.
Even in states that don't have a flooding or wetland problem, innovative uses of old Christmas trees may be found. In many counties and cities like Farmington, New Mexico, governments collect the retired trees and put them through wood chippers. The resulting mulch is then used to enrich the soils of public parks and wilderness areas, or to provide better walking trails.
Similar efforts are underway in Howard County, MD, where the government is offering a variety of Christmas
tree recycling options through its "Merry Mulch" program. The county
recycles about 18,000 trees a year. All trees are delivered to the
Alpha Ridge Landfill, where they are transformed into compost and mulch.
To help provide an additional incentive to potential tree recyclers, the government of Colorado allows those who drop off their trees for mulching to leave with enough free mulch to landscape their own yards. Colorado Recycles estimates that about 90 percent of the 615,000 natural trees used for Christmas in Colorado will be recycled this year through such programs.
Very often, the recycled mulch leftover is used as a cap for landfills, protecting against fires, blowing litter, unpleasant fumes and scavenging.
Leftover trees also make great habitats for game fish if placed in bodies of water, functioning as a sort of artificial freshwater reef. The New
Hampshire Fish and Game Department operates the state fisheries habitat
restoration program, which uses recycled Christmas trees to make
fish-friendly habitats, the National Christmas Tree Association reports.
Topping the list of interesting recycling programs is the all-volunteer run program in Mebane, North Carolina, which provides discarded trees to the Conservators' Center, a refuge for rescued lions
and tigers.
"The big cats - 12 tigers and 19
lions weighing up to 500 pounds with three-inch claws - were going to
go crazy while tearing the limbs off recycled trees provided by the
Cranberry Tree Farm in Alleghany County," reported McClatchy News. Better the trees than their zoo keepers.
Many cities provide free pickups for discarded Christmas trees within
the first few weeks after Christmas. Residents in these areas need only
remove ornaments and lights from the trees and place them on the curb
of the road for pickup. But not every community has the resources
within government to run these collection and recycling programs and
must depend on volunteers to help organize the efforts, run collection
sites, spread the mulch, and get the word to residents the services are
available. If you are interested in volunteering, contact your local
department of natural resources for information.
Also Interesting: