OK, it's over.
Santa has come and gone, and it's time to take down the Christmas tree. Peel off the lights, pull off the ornaments and put them away until next year.
Now what do you do with that bare evergreen?
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“Recycling trees and protecting those still in nature is a great way to stay consistent (with the) spirit of giving and giving back,” says Carl Adair, 19, of Fairport, who is co-president of Grassroots, a University of Rochester environmental group.
In that vein, there's a lot you can do to make use of that old tree and help the environment at the same time.
Chip it.
Rochester and most towns in Monroe County have chipping facilities that will take your old tree and chop it into mulch.
In the city, trees picked up at the curb are ground up with whatever other wood waste is received, and the mulch is used on public projects. If you prefer, you can dispose of your old tree — and get mulch — at any of several sites listed on the Monroe County Environmental Services Web site:
www.monroecounty.gov/org50.asp
You may have to bring your own container, and you'll have to remove all the decorations, plastic, nails, wires and the like to spare the chipping equipment from damage. A list of drop-off sites and details for town and village recycling is also available on the Web site.
Bob King of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County suggests just cutting off your tree's limbs and laying them in the garden as mulch.
Burn it. Using your Christmas tree to help heat your home is another way to repurpose it.
Cut up the trunk into pieces you can use to kindle a fire. The limbs also can be dried and burned. Softwoods make excellent fire-starters, but remember, there's a lot of creosote in evergreens, so use them sparingly and clean your chimney when the heating season is over.
Give it back. Mother Nature won't mind if you re-gift.
Lay the tree down in your yard to provide shelter for birds and small animals. Or, to make a bird feeder, dig a small hole, stand the tree in it, then garnish with slices of oranges or apples, some suet and seed.
“Firs are especially good for this purpose,” King says.
If you have a pond, sink and anchor the tree in three to four feet of water to make a great refuge and feeding area for fish.
“You might want to tie a rope to the tree,” King advises, “since later in the spring or summer you might want to remove it, depending on how much aquatic cover the pond provides itself.”
Of course, you can avoid the whole recycling dilemma by getting a live Christmas tree instead of a cut one and planting it in your yard come spring.
