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.

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

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.

  I didn’t eat too many…honest!

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