I certainly had to Google this last day of the Every Inchie Monday 2019 topic as I had absolutely no idea what it could possibly be all about.
It seems it was started by Americans, concerned not about chopping down a lovely big pine tree as a focus for their holiday home decor, but about the sad, wilting remnants of the festive season being tossed aside after all the paper ripping has finished, without environmental attention.
Personally, I'd have thought it would have been more responsible simply to let them continue to grow and do their CO2/O2/habitat thingy without molestation, but then, I am a Christmas humbug after all, so what would I know...
If you did have a "real" tree this Christmas and the drying needles are starting to clog the Dyson and stick into your toes, these are the guidelines you should be following today... just get the family together and work through this list of suggestions from Thomas and Ruth Roy...
- Every state offers recycling options, many with pick up.
- Mulch the tree for bedding around your home or donate to mulching programs.
- Before recycling, you can provide shelter to birds and use the tree as a place to hang treats to feed them. The tree will need some anchoring – See this article from Purdue University for more details. When winter is over, you can still use the tree for other recycling needs.
- After your tree provided shelter to the birds, it can also offer shelter to the fish, too. In ponds and lakes, trees are used to create protection for spawning and feeding.
- While your tree should never be burned in a wood stove or fireplace indoors due to the type of oils in fir and evergreen trees, the tree may be chopped and used in the firepit outdoors.
- Depending on where you live, Christmas trees may be used as soil erosion barriers for lakes, rivers, and dunes.
Also, that folk respond to the need for restraint when lighting fires, (we always seem to have the irresponsibles amongst us), and get themselves and others needing assistance to a place of safety if necessary...
I hope we all have a happy and prosperous 2020...it is just around the corner now.
Di