OK, hopefully you have seen the little blurb and the picture in my earlier post today (see below – Elephant Eats Christmas!) I had a little problem with that post, so I decided to come in here and add a few more words in a separate post.
First – the word ‘treecycling’ – it’s not mine. I got this from an acquaintance that writes a column (and book to be released, March 2009) called “The Forester’s Log”. In her column, Mary talks about ways to recycle your Christmas tree instead of just waiting for the trash man [PC- Sanitation Engineer] to come and haul it to the dump. A wonderful article, it includes some of the common ways to recycle trees when you are done with them (mulch, erosion control) but also suggests other unique ways to recycle – such as the tree cookie. A tree cookie is an ornament made from thin slices of the trunk and sanded, etched, painted – some way to make an ornament. You can make many of these from your current tree and save them for next year to give as presents or to hang on your own tree. What a great idea – Thanks, Mary!
What she didn’t mention is that elephants love the taste of Christmas trees. I had recently seen a blip on the news about this, and, curious, did a search on the internet. I only saw ONE place in all of the US that mentions they feed the trees to their elephants. Now think – how many zoos and wildlife safari parks are there in the United States? Thousands maybe? I can think of 5-6 within a 3 hour drive; and yes, I think they all have elephants. So, what I am proposing is that next year, some of you need to contact your local zoo or animal safari world (BEFORE CHRISTMAS) and ask them if they would like some trees for their elephants. Wouldn’t it be great if every elephant received a tree treat for the new year! I can just see the national headlines now, “Elephants Eat Christmas”. Think about it. I know, next time I am at a zoo, I am going to ask if they could use a tree or two for their elephants after the holiday season. I’d even go so far as to pick up a few from my neighbors and haul them down there. Who needs more mulch for their yards?
Just one more mention: Use your trees to create a fishing bed in local lakes. Get permission from the local park rangers or manager of the lake before you just drop them willy nilly!
Credit where credit is due: Picture below of elephant made available by National Geographic.
