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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 was born in the rugged northwest Missouri hamlet of St. Joseph (where the Pony Express began and Jesse James ended). Inspired from a young age by the spirit of the early settlers who used St. Joseph as an embarkation point in their journey westward, Kyle developed the heart of an explorer and yearned to leave for adventures of his own. Perhaps as a result of attending John Glenn elementary school, young Kyle dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but was disheartened when someone told him that astronauts had to be good at math. He also considered being a tow truck driver, and like the heroes of his favorite childhood television shows (The A-Team and The Incredible Hulk) he saw himself traveling the country, helping people in trouble and getting into wacky adventures. He still harbors that dream.
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