Turn Your Christmas Tree into a Fish Habitat

Santa has come and gone, and you're starting to think about taking down the Christmas Tree. Did you know it could be turned into a habitat for fish?

Yes, Christmas Trees make great homes for fish when they are sunk at the bottom of an area lake, and if you choose to recycle your tree this year area fisherman may turn it into a habitat for them.

According to KeepAmericaFishing.org:

When it comes to fishing, habitat is one of the most important aspects to angling success. In water bodies lacking structure and depth changes, baitfish will be heavily scattered. This often means finding your desired sportfish can be quite difficult. Without refuge, many fish remain inactive most of the day, suspending over deep water. Adding cover provides much needed nutrition for even the smallest of species, and with this the food chain will follow. As woody plant tissue decomposes, Mother Nature jumpstarts a whole new series of vegetation at the lowest levels of life such as phytoplankton and various algaes. Zooplankton, also known as water fleas, populate and forage on the new vegetation, attracting small insects, mussels, snails, and crayfish who also eat on the phyto and zooplankton. The abundance of life then attracts small, non-predatory fish that eat on the small insects or zooplankton, and the larger, predator species we cherish. As the saying goes, “Find the Bait, and You’ll Find the Fish.”

Thanks to the City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful, you have two options in Tyler to recycle your non-flocked, natural Christmas tree.

It's important to remember, you must remove all of the decorations before dropping off your tree at either Golden Road Park or Fun Forest Park. You're asked to please place your tree near the sign that reads: Christmas Tree Recycling.