Recycling Christmas Trees for Wildlife

Giving new life to your tree after the holiday seasons…

Each year, somewhere around 25–30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States, mostly from a selection of about 16 species of tree that we commonly know as a “Christmas Tree.” Decorated with lights and ornaments, they serve as beautiful backdrops for family photos, and serve as a resting place under which we put gifts for our loved ones…

The day will come each year when they have served their purpose for the holiday and most people just trash them, however don’t just trash them! Often Christmas trees can be utilized benefit your local wildlife, the soil in your yard, or even nearby restoration projects.

Decorate Your Tree for Wildlife

After you’ve removed all the plastic bags, tinsel, and ornaments, here are some easy ways for you to help wildlife or enrich your local area with these trees after you’ve enjoyed them. If you‘ve got the space in the backyard and like watching wildlife, you can put your tree outside and decorate your tree with edible ornaments or popcorn strings so that you feed wildlife like birds and squirrels. Decorating your tree for wildlife can help them at a time when food is scarce. Most of the recipes call for peanut butter, fresh fruit like grapes, berries, or apples, suet, and bird seed.

Fish feeders: Sunk into private fish ponds, trees make an excellent refuge and feeding area for fish.

Bird feeders: Place the Christmas tree in the garden or backyard and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Fresh orange slices or strung popcorn will attract the birds and they can sit in the branches for shelter. (Make sure all decorations, hooks, garland and tinsel strands are removed). Eventually (within a year) the branches will become brittle and you can break the tree apart by hand or chip it in a chipper.

Living, rooted trees: Get a rooted (ball and burlap or containerized) tree and plant it in your yard. Living trees have a better survival rate in mild climates.

When you’re done with your trees, either arrange for curb pick-up from your local municipality following Christmas or take it to a non-profit or a local recycling center to handle the process.