There’s a glumness to the times that observe Christmas. The presents have been unwrapped, the feast eaten, and it’s time to undecorate the Christmas tree, which now bleeds needles each time you take a look at it. But some Christmas timber get a second probability at life in a somewhat sudden place: on the backside of a lake, surrounded by fish searching for habitat.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is asking Missourians to swing by the Central Regional Office in Columbia and drop off their used timber. MDC plans to make use of the timber for fish habitat enchancment initiatives by throwing them into ponds and lakes across the state.
Of course, it’s not so simple as heaving the tree off a dock or boat ramp, which is why specialists beg the general public to not recycle timber on their very own. Conservation officers usually bundle timber collectively and rig them with rope and cement to weigh them down. They then place the tree piles in areas the place native fish species want the duvet and construction. Small fish congregate across the branches to munch on the algae and plankton that emerge from the decomposing biomass. Those small fish create a smorgasbord of forage for bigger recreation fish. This, in flip, makes the waters round these tree “cribs” wonderful spots for anglers, in response to MDC fisheries biologist Brian McKeage.
This apply is neither new nor restricted to Missouri. Christmas tree recycling applications have improved fish habitat throughout the nation for many years. Some drop-off websites get inundated with unsold timber from close by distributors. That’s been the case for Claytor Lake State Park in Dublin, Virginia. Claytor Lake assistant supervisor Austin Monnett tells Outdoor Life the Park obtained properly over 100 timber final yr after space {hardware} shops donated their leftovers. (The Claytor Lake drop-off website is on a one-year hiatus throughout a employees turnover however they count on to be again in operation subsequent vacation season.)
Most state wildlife businesses give a unique reward to anglers after tree assortment ends. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources releases maps (like this one in every of Lake Frederick) that present the place the Christmas tree reefs and others are positioned. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will publish GPS coordinates for the Christmas tree reefs on their web site.
Between releasing up landfill house, supplementing the underwater meals chain, and manufacturing new fishing honey holes, donating your outdated Christmas tree for fish habitat is an effective way to proceed the season of giving. Just be certain to drop the tree off at an official website manned by a wildlife company or different group. After all, because the Ohio Department of Natural Resources factors out, discarding a tree on public or non-public property with out permission might earn you a littering ticket.