Now that Christmas has come and gone, for families who purchased a live Christmas tree here are a number of eco-friendly options to dispose of your tree.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will accept real Christmas trees for recycling as fish habitats at J. Strom Thurmond Lake through Jan. 17. Hartwell Lake will accept real trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 26. Artificial trees will not be accepted.
All decorations, tinsel, lights, garland, bulbs, etc., must be removed from the trees before dropping them off. Dumping of wireframe wreaths,decorations, yard debris, and household trash is prohibited.
“It needs to be a live Christmas tree that doesn’t have any tinsel, ornaments, lighting or flocking,” said David Quebedeaux, park ranger, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Flocking is the white coating that will sometimes be applied to older Christmas trees in an effort to sell them. The flocking kind of looks like snow. It’s just an absolute mess to deal with and the fish don’t like it.”
Real trees may be dropped off at the following locations:
Georgia
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Big Oaks boat ramp (Hart County)
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Poplar Springs boat ramp (Franklin County)
South Carolina
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Twin Lakes boat ramp (Pickens County)
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Coneross boat ramp (Oconee County)
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Mount Lebanon Elementary School (Anderson County)
Habitat for aquatic wildlife
“At least on my side of things, one of the bigger avenues is donating your Christmas trees for fish habitat structures,” said Aaron Gray, fisheries biologist, with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Division. “As reservoirs get older, trees breakdown. As resource managers we have to rebuild some of the habitat that’s out there in the water.”
Trees will be tied in bundles, weighted with concrete anchors, and submerged in various locations marked with fish attractor buoys by Corps of Engineers personnel. This creates shelter and food for bait fish which attracts crappie, bass, and sunfish species. Ultimately, the recycled trees benefit the fish as well as the angler.
For more information, contact Park Ranger Jason Corder at (706) 856-0332.
Additional tips from the Arbor Day Foundation:
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Evergreens tend to burn hot and fast, making them ideal for bonfires.
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Consider turning it into mulch or compost.
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Cut the trunk into one-inch wood coasters.
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Hang bird feeders transforming it into a bird sanctuary.
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Wood ash contains nutrients. After burning the tree, use the ashes in your garden.
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Cut off the branches of your tree and lay them on your garden bed, the boughs will protect your plants from winter freezes and spring thaws.
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If the needles are still green, strip the tree and store the needles in paper bags or sachets to use as fresheners. The needles will retain their scent and freshen your home year-round.
Wallace’s Farm
Wallace’s Farm, a traveling petting zoo, located in Hephzibah at 1898 Brown Rd., tract 2 welcomes Christmas trees after the holiday. “The goats eat them and I use them for fires,” said Brandi Wallace, owner of Wallace’s Farm. “Christmas trees burn really well and quickly. There’s no limit. I share them with farmer friends.”
For more details, contact Wallace’s Farm by email at [email protected].
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Funding Partners.
Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at [email protected] or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Consider a more eco-friendly route for disposing of your Christmas tree
