13 Dec The Benefits of a Real Christmas Tree in Wisconsin
The scent of a freshly cut pine tree adds the perfect touch to the holiday season. Something you can’t get from an artificial tree. Now, we aren’t dissing artificial trees. We know they have their advantages. They’re cleaner, less maintenance and for someone with bad allergies, necessary. But they’re also made from non-biodegradable plastic and are a fire hazard. Lasting only 6-9 years before ending up in a landfill, they aren’t the best choice, environmentally speaking. Real Christmas trees have so many great benefits, you’ll be tempted to box up your artificial tree for good!
Wisconsin alone has 36,000 acres of Christmas trees. Just one acre will absorb 500 pounds of CO2 a year. Considering these trees live between 8 and 12 years, that’s a substantial amount. On the flip side, that same single acre of trees can produce enough oxygen for 18 people every day! Christmas trees also have a profound economic impact in Wisconsin. In 2002, $50 million was accredited to sales in the Christmas tree industry.
At most Christmas tree farms, for every tree cut, 3 trees are planted. Making real Christmas trees sustainable. They’re also biodegradable and recyclable. Many communities actually offer tree recycling programs, featuring curbside pick-up. After Christmas, these trees can be turned into chips for mulching paths and gardens, soil erosion barriers on shorelines, sunk to create refuge and feeding areas for fish, and even placed in the yard with fruit and feed to become a bird sanctuary. During their lifetimes, these trees act as wildlife habitat. For various birds and small rodents, Christmas trees are the perfect place to nest and hide.
As a few final hurrahs for the real Christmas trees, they help employ 100,000 people and preserve green space by growing in soils that would otherwise be unfit for other crops. The experience of picking the perfect Christmas tree with your family can be a great cherished tradition.