Remove ornaments, tinsel, lights and any bag. John M. Galloway Christmas trees can be reused to help animals. This tree, next to a bird feeder, provides shelter for the flock at the Howell Nature Center. It used to be the fate of a used Christmas tree to end up in a landfill. If you have bird feeders, place the tree near them.
Birds waste a lot of body heat trying to keep warm in exposed areas.
The protection will help them get through the winter. It lays on the ground forever, until blown away, so it is worth the time to try and take it off the tree, even though it is hard to do on a dry tree. Some lakes have no structure, meaning a flat bottom or no weed beds. Placing old trees in specific areas of the lake gives a place for minnows and crappies to hide, live and grow, and attracts the bigger fish who eat them. It helps the food chain.