Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Recycle Your Christmas Tree for Wildlife

Rather than putting our used Christmas tree at the curb after the holiday, we recycled it by placing it in our yard to be used as habitat for wildlife. The tree will provide cover for birds, chipmunks, raccoons and other small animals, protecting them from predators and shielding them from harsh weather.
After seeing a red fox in the brambles along the side of our yard, we decided this would be a good place to put the tree, enabling smaller animals to have somewhere to duck into. As we tucked the tree into a nook filled with low hanging branches, I envisioned small animals taking refuge there, sheltered from cold winter winds and just out of reach of the fox.

3 comments:

Folkways Note Book said...

This is a great idea for all the Christmas trees sitting in living rooms. I'm sure all the critters will appreciate it. -- barbara

Unknown said...

In one of your previous posts, titled "Zero Waste Christmas Trees," you wrote of a Pagan Style celebrating Christmas , which I believe appreciates a trees life and not its death. So now with this post, I noticed that you purchased a decapitated tree for your Christmas celebration. Will it be with next years Christmas celebration that you begin appreciating life over death?

Darcy said...

Barbara- Many communities encourage folks to recycle their live Christmas trees, either by composting them or placing them in the woods to create safe places for small critters...a great alternative to the landfill!

dogPedaler- I agree, cutting down a tree for a holiday celebration seems extremely wasteful and lacking in respect for the life of the tree. I certainly could argue that this tree was locally farmed and provided income for the tree farmers who raised it, just as there are farmers who raise lettuce or potatoes, but won't. For me, I think this issue really boils down to learning to respect all things on earth through increased awareness and reverence for the natural world. This awareness doesn't come overnight and happens instead by questioning the status quo and listening to those like yourself who may have some insights on how to do better. Thanks for your post!