Wild New Jersey - Make it a green Christmas

Make it a Green Christmas

Lynda Hester D'Orio
December 1, 1998

We are on the eve of the busy holiday season and I thought I'd share some new ideas with you on how to enjoy this time even more by supporting our environment.

First, if the ground around you has not frozen, go out and dig a hole. (I'm not crazy if that's what you are thinking.) If you've done this early enough, you'll be able to plant your live Christmas tree in your yard after Christmas so you can add beauty to your yard and garden.

tree gathering

If you choose a cut Christmas tree, don't feel guilty. They are harvested like vegetables. They are grown on farms intended for harvest. The way to enjoy this tradition is to consider buying from local growers to support your community if possible and to dispose of them properly once you are done.

I researched some organizations around the country to find out what is done with our Christmas trees once we've finished enjoying them in our home. Although it may exist, I could not find a New Jersey web site or phone number with this information, you really need to research this locally, town by town.

I would ask all of you to ask your town clerk about the pick up of your tree when you put it on the curb. Many communities provide pick up and the trees will be recycled into compost, mulch or chips for our recreational areas or even for use by homeowners.

Check your local area by town or county, you may also find non-profits requesting you to donate the trees to them. These organizations provide the recycling of trees and swags of evergreens as a community service and to earn money for projects. Across the country, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, churches and schools may be taking part in this so please ask!

All of these organizations will ask you to strip the tree of all decorations, lights, tinsel, nails, stands and any other materials not a part of the tree.

In Louisiana, I found a web site for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and Coastal restoration. They take used Christmas trees and use them to make a fence of sorts. The natural materials in the trees are put into a form that protects wetlands. The trees are placed inside of wooden fences in a shallow open-water area and provide a wave break to reduce erosion, enhance water quality and provide reef resources to marine wildlife.

If you live at the Jersey shore, check if you can contribute to any conservation efforts like this in your area.

I was also able to find some great information on the Clean Ocean Action website called 10 tips for Holiday and gift giving. Beyond the Christmas tree recycling and the purchase and planting of live evergreens, you'll find great advice on creating wonderful holiday gift-wrapping, presents, and suggestions for the gift of giving of your time, items or a financial contribution to conservation organizations.

I also found a great new site called Woodwise. (An interesting side note, it was founded by the wife of the well-known comedian, Chevy Chase.) The site covers how to stop junk mail, how to preserve trees, forests and woodlands through simple steps we can all take. I found a section in there on holidays and it includes some of the best suggestions I've seen on how to wrap gifts in Woodwise ways. They are very creative and provide great fun and simple lessons for kids if you let them help.

The Woodwise holiday section even includes tips on a zero waste party. One tip is not to decorate with paper, use natural items that can be used as favors for your guests when they leave.

Not all of this is hard, some of the changes we can make are pretty simple.

I'm sure there are many more ideas for conservation waiting to be found. If you locate any, let us know, we'll try to post those up and create a new resource you can return to year after year if you have any questions.

And remember, don't be too hard on yourself if you bought the sparkling, richly colored store paper or Christmas cards that are not made from recyclable materials. Old habits are hard to break, I know. Maybe you could just start by saving this years' Christmas cards and cutting them up for gift tags next year, every little bit helps!

Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year to all of you.

Lynda