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Saturday, December 28, 2013

Recycling Christmas Trees

It’s a little quiet here at the J. Strom Thurmond COE right now.  Many of the park rangers are on some well deserved holiday vacations and most of the volunteers here are just enjoying some time off.

We’ve been relaxing as well, enjoying some Christmas movies we taped on our DVR and reading on our Kindles.  Marti has been playing her video games, too.  Who said video games are just for kids?

However, we’re getting a little itchy to go back to work.  We’ve had so much fun doing the wide variety of jobs here and we’re looking forward to some new tasks, although we have plenty of areas still needing boundary lines and survey pin verifications done.

Upcoming tasks for us are some school visits to discuss water safety with the kids, a program the COE runs every year.  A video and a collection of life jackets are the items that are used to help kids understand the need for caution around the water.  The COE even provides loaner life jackets at the swimming areas at Thurmond lake.

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One major program that is done annually here is recycling Christmas Trees.  Many communities use wood chippers to grind up the trees into mulch. 

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Not here, the COE collects the trees, attaches weights to them and then places the trees in certain spots in the lake to provide cover and sanctuary for fish breeding.  Small fish can live and grow in the safety of the trees and increase the fish population.

I’m looking forward to this process.  It will be a new experience starting after the first of the year.  Good for the fish, good for the environment and good for me to get some exercise and work off some of those Christmas treats.

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  I didn’t eat too many…honest!

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

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15 comments:

  1. enjoy the quiet time..soon enough it will be time to head back to work!..the trees for the fish sounds like an interesting process, one I am sure you will share when it begins!

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  2. We were actually a part of that process a few years ago where the Boy Scouts came and got our trees and did just that with them at a nearby lake. We thought it was a wonderful idea and glad to hear it is being done elsewhere too!

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  3. Great way to help fish grow safely.

    Rest well, you will need it to party new years eve!

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  4. Great idea of fish breeding. I didn't know they did that. Happy New Year!

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  5. What a great idea recycling Christmas trees!
    Happy New Year to you both!

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  6. Just don't get your foot tangled in the weighted line when you toss the trees overboard! ;)

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  7. Love the recycling idea. I love all recycling ideas. I think I need to take some video game lessons from Marti although I don't have one of those cute little notebooks or ipads or pods or whatever. I'd have to do them on my laptop but I just think maybe I should get up with the times like Marti.

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  8. So I guess those fish will taste like that cleaning stuff:)

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  9. Well, it is true....when you are doing something you enjoy, it really isn't work!!! Sounds like a great idea with the trees and somehow I know you will make it very interesting;o))

    Happy New Year and thanks to all the volunteers!!!

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  10. Yup, things are a little slow down here too. I think the volunteers are the only ones working :-)

    I got my Wii out yesterday and started playing again. It's challenging & fun!

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  11. The Christmas tree idea sounds pretty good. I think you'd better have one of those life preservers on for that job though.

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  12. We used to recycle our trees like that too. They make a good artificial reef. Anxious to go back to work? Yikes....

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  13. You must be having too much fun if you are anxious to get back to work.
    Great plan for the christmas trees.

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  14. We, too, are enjoying the time off! The Christmas tree recycling project will be an interesting task. Hopefully none of us fall in the lake. ;-0

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  15. Enjoy the quiet times ... never heard of Christmas trees being recycled like that; great idea.

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