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Discover Nature: Recyle Xmas Trees

Two MDC employees stand atop a frozen pond and attach Christmas trees to cinderblocks for fish habitat when the ice melts.
Sinking old Christmas trees in ponds, or placing them under bird feeders provides the gift of habitat to wildlife, and opportunities for you to discover nature for months to come.

The holiday season continues, but as we enter the new year and Christmas trees come down, consider giving one more gift – to nature.

   

 

Re-using cut Christmas trees can provide great habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife.  

 

Strip your tree of ornaments and consider placing it in a pond. By attaching a rock or other anchor to your tree you can help fish populations by creating natural cover for them… and possibly a new fishing spot for you.  

 

If you don’t have a pond, cut Christmas trees also make great gifts for the birds.  Stash your tree under a bird feeder to offer shelter from the wind – and a place to escape from predators. 

 

Add popcorn strings or pinecones smeared in peanut butter to sweeten the deal for our feathered friends – and watch for new nests to appear in the branches.  

 

Christmas trees can also be shredded or chipped for mulch that you can use to create natural pathways or bedding in flower gardens. 

 

Learn more about the benefits of recycling Christmas trees, and other ways to enjoy nature in your own backyard with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Contact your local Conservation office for information about drop-off locations. In Columbia, call (573) 815-7900. 

 

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation. 

 

Kyle Felling’s work at KBIA spans more than three decades. In 2025, he became KBIA and KMUC's Station Manager. He began volunteering at the station while he was a Political Science student at the University of Missouri. After being hired as a full-time announcer, he served as the long-time local host of NPR’s All Things Considered on KBIA, and was Music Director for a number of years. Starting in 2010, Kyle became KBIA’s Program Director, overseeing on-air programming and operations while training and supervising the station’s on-air staff. During that period, KBIA regularly ranked among the top stations in the Columbia market, and among the most listened to stations in the country. He was instrumental in the launch of KBIA’s sister station, Classical 90.5 FM in 2015, and helped to build it into a strong community resource for classical music. Kyle has also worked as an instructor in the MU School of Journalism, training the next generation of journalists and strategic communicators. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive pinball, reading comic books and Joan Didion, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and listening to Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band.
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