Repurposed Christmas trees ready to make difference
- John Lorson
- January 28, 2022
- 1245
For the second year in a row, we put out a call for folks to donate the remains of their live Christmas trees to Holmes SWCD for use in a handful of conservation efforts here in Holmes County. The response has been incredible.
With well over 200 trees presently stockpiled for various uses, we will do a lot of good work with one of nature’s best conservation tools, the tree, at the very end of its life cycle. Now all we need is a decent window of weather to begin taking care of the many projects we’ve lined up.
First and foremost, our brush pile habitat project at the former Holmes County Landfill will get a nice boost on the project begun last year. In preparing for this year’s collection, we visited the half-dozen or so brush piles we installed with the help of Webelos Pack #357 last year.
The ideal time to visit these installations is a few days after an accumulation of snow. Tracks, tunnels and droppings of the smallest inhabitants of the piles are accented by the paw prints of fox, mink, weasel and other terrestrial predators while the unique marks left by the brush of wingtips on the snow prove a hawk or owl has taken its meal.
The occasional tuft of fur or droplets of frozen blood complete the story: The brush pile has done its job in sheltering the small mammals — voles and mice — that are a key link in the food web and give predators an opportunity as well. And while the brush pile acts as a bit of a feeding trough for the latter, a large and stable population of the former remains safely hidden within the cover, ready to repopulate rapidly.
A second use for this year’s trees is in a stream restoration project in the Killbuck Creek Watershed at a tributary named Rush Run. Partnering with Holmes County engineer Chris Young and operating under a grant from the Ohio EPA, we are working to restore the stream to a more natural, sinuous and sustainable geometry, complete with riffles to add oxygen, pools to provide deep water refuge during both hot and cold spells, and tree growth along the banks to both prevent erosion and offer the water-cooling gift of shade.
The Christmas trees we’ve collected will go between layers of heavy rock in areas along the bank, typically on the outside of newly constructed bends, to both armor the bank and provide numerous nooks and crannies for small fish and aquatic invertebrates to find shelter. Just like brush piles on the grasslands of the landfill, when we provide habitat for the little things, the big things will follow. The subsurface trees also work to collect sediment from the flowing stream, depositing it in the slowed shadow of the tree structures rather than allowing it to continue downstream to block storm culverts and endanger roadways.
Sadly, I won’t be around — at least not consistently — to watch the fruits of our labors ripen into viable, sustainable habitat as my last day with Holmes Soil & Water will be Feb. 4. I won’t be landing far from Holmes County, however, as I begin my role with Wayne Soil & Water Conservation District the following week. My mission will remain the same: keep the soil on the land and the waters clean and healthy.
I’ve immensely enjoyed my time working in Holmes County, perhaps more than anyone should love a job, and I have a great group of supervisors, co-workers, and the wonderful and welcoming people of Holmes County to thank for that. I will miss you all and plan to visit often.
As always, if you’ve got questions or comments, call 330-674-2811 ext. 3, email Holmes.SWCD@gmail.com or check out the website at www.HolmesSWCD.com.