Conservation Corner
Conservation Corner is a weekly article produced by the Forest County Land &Water Conservation Department. For more information contact Steve Kircher, County Conservationist-Land Information/GIS Director at 715-478-1387 or by e-mail at .
Hope you had a terrific Thanksgiving with family, friends and a lot of food. To the hunters, hope you had a rewarding gun hunt. Now, we’ll start hearing the Christmas music and Christmas shopping will commence. Have you picked out the perfect Christmas tree yet?
So, here are some reasons for buying a real tree. Actually, there are many environmental benefits to buying a live Christmas tree:
- Farm-grown Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water, and provide habitat for wildlife.
- 100% biodegradable! Artificial manufactured trees are made from man-made plastics and metals that will never decompose and add to our landfills.
- Christmas tree farms often utilize soils that can’t support other crops effectively.
- For every Christmas tree harvested, 2-3 seedlings are planted, making live Christmas trees a sustainable, renewable resource.
- Real Christmas trees can be disposed of in several ways such as ground-up mulch to replenish soil, fish habitat, and other useful methods.
- One unique method practiced by some Wisconsin goat farms is taking donated Christmas trees that the goats eat and strip of the needles.
- Live trees also absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh oxygen, which helps fight climate change.
- Pruned Christmas tree branches are used in wreaths and other evergreen holiday decor allowing most or all of the tree to be utilized.
If you need help looking for a tree farm or lot in your area, the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association website offers a great Member Farm Map.