Wondering what to do with your live Christmas tree now that the holidays are over? You can turn it into a wildlife habitat instead of just throwing it away.
Each year Michiganders purchase hundreds of thousands of live Christmas trees, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Instead of turning them into landfill, they can be used to benefit the environment
Woody habitats are important for fish, turtles, frogs and other water creatures because it provides refuge from predators, reduces wave energy that erodes shorelines and encourages growth of aquatic plants.
A customer secures their Christmas tree on top of their vehicle at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill in Armada on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
However Christmas trees are classified as softwoods and often break down relatively quickly in aquatic environments, making them unsuitable for fish to use as a habitat, according to the Michigan DNR.
Additionally, pesticides applied to our Christmas trees may introduce unwanted materials into our waters.
What can I do with my tree?
To best dispose of your Christmas tree, here are a few options:
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Create a brush pile on your property to provide habitat; wildlife may use it for nesting or as a food source. Just make sure that the tree is pesticide-free and that you’ve removed all of the ornaments and other decorations.
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Cut the tree into small pieces or mulch it to use in garden pots or landscaping, which will return nutrients to the soil. Depending on the type of gardening you’re doing and the type of tree you have, you may need to confirm that the tree is pesticide-free and that it won’t negatively affect soil composition for whatever you’re growing.
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Give the tree to a friend who has chickens or goats. Chickens can roost on trees and goats love to chew on them. Again, make sure the tree is pesticide-free before allowing animals to use it.
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Recycle your tree through your municipality. Many cities and towns collect trees or have designated drop-off locations; these trees are usually turned into mulch.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How to dispose of your Christmas tree instead of trashing it