Rethinking Christmas Trees: Discover Superior Alternatives for Fish and Wildlife Habitat!

Discover more about what to do with your Christmas tree post-holidays

Every year, residents of Michigan buy millions of live Christmas trees. However, once the holiday season concludes, many individuals ponder whether their trees can serve useful purposes rather than being discarded in a landfill. The response is affirmative — numerous options exist for your old Christmas trees to continue contributing as habitats, but it’s essential to consider the most effective way to do this.

Can Christmas trees be beneficial for fish?

Individuals frequently inquire with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources if their Christmas trees could provide adequate habitat for fish. This is an excellent inquiry, considering many of Michigan’s lakes once featured woody environments, like fallen trees, spaced every 5 to 50 feet! Such woody habitats are vital for fish, turtles, frogs, herons, and other wildlife, as they offer shelter from predators and spots for sunbathing, diminish wave impact that erodes shorelines, and stimulate the growth of aquatic vegetation. Trees with harder wood that possess a loosely arranged branch framework offer exceptional habitats.

Nevertheless, Christmas trees are categorized as softwoods and generally consist of species such as balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and white pine. These softwoods decompose relatively rapidly in aquatic settings. The dense branches of Christmas trees, which are ideal for hanging ornaments, are often too thick for numerous fish to utilize as a habitat.

Moreover, pesticides applied to Christmas trees, along with leftover decorations and weights used to submerge trees, may introduce undesirable substances into our waters. Therefore, if you’re contemplating sinking that tree in your preferred lake for fish habitat, we encourage you to explore alternative options.

Recommended uses for Christmas trees

What’s the optimal use for that Christmas tree? Here are several suggestions:

• Construct a brush pile on your property to facilitate habitat; wildlife might use it for nesting or as a food source. Just ensure that the tree is free of pesticides and that all ornaments and other decorations have been removed.
• Slice the tree into smaller pieces or mulch it to utilize in garden pots or landscaping, which will replenish nutrients to the soil. Depending on the gardening you’re engaged in and the type of tree you possess, you might need to verify that the tree is free of pesticides and that it won’t adversely impact soil composition for your plants.
• Give the tree to a friend who has chickens or goats. Chickens can perch on trees, while goats enjoy munching on them. Again, please confirm that the tree is free of pesticides before allowing animals to access it.
• Recycle your tree via your local municipality. Many cities and towns offer tree collection or designated drop-off sites; these trees are typically transformed into mulch.

Enhancing lake habitats appropriately

If you wish to enhance the woody habitats in your local lake for fish, birds, turtles, and other wildlife, it’s best to follow the shoreline woody structure techniques supported by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, as well as the DNR. These methods, often referred to as fish sticks or turtle logs, provide long-lasting benefits. Woody habitats should be positioned in areas where they won’t obstruct navigation and secured to the shoreline or lakebed to ensure that they remain in place.

Regardless of the techniques you choose, obtaining a permit from EGLE is required when installing fish habitat structures or anything that could impact the bottomlands of public waters in Michigan. EGLE has created the Minor Project Category: Fish and Wildlife Habitat Structures permit to promote the establishment of shoreline woody structures through a straightforward and low-cost permit category along with an expedited process. If you’re interested in adding shoreline woody structures to your local waterway, an initial meeting with your regional EGLE district representative would be an excellent step to ensure the project adheres to permitting guidelines. Pre-application consultations can be requested through MiEnviro, EGLE’s permitting and compliance database, to review project design and regulatory standards.

If you possess waterfront property, think about how woody habitats would naturally enter the water. Are there trees situated near your shoreline? If they were to fall into the water, would you remove them or leave them there to benefit fish and wildlife habitats? You may consider planting water-tolerant native trees adjacent to the shoreline of your property and allowing fallen trees to remain in the water as gifts that continuously provide benefits to the lake’s fish, turtles, birds, and other wildlife.

The accompanying photos are available for download below. Caption details follow.

• Fish habitat – Panfish conceal themselves among the branches of a fallen tree in an interior Michigan lake. Credit: Eric Calabro, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
• Woody habitat structure – Woody habitat structures installed at a lake shoreline provide homes for fish and wildlife near a swimming area and boat dock on a lakeside property. Credit: Mark Bugnaski Photography.