Christmas tree recycling: from goat feed to bobcat shelters

Christmas tree pick up began in parts of the Halifax Regional Municipality Monday and city hallestimates about 400 tonneswill be picked up over the next two weeks for recycling.

But some people are finding creative ways to repurpose their Christmas trees. Here are some of the ideas.

You can drop itoff at agoat farmso the animals can munch on it. For instance,SweetwoodFarminBlockhouse,LunenburgCounty, is taking tree donationsSaturdayat their goatfarm.

Over atIsland Hill Farm on Prince Edward Island,the goats are typically grateful for the winter snack, according to owner Flory Sanderson.

"It mixes up their diet, it acts like a natural dewormer and they'll actually clean it down right to the bark, it's pretty awesome," saidSanderson."We find it makes the barn smell absolutely fantastic."

Wildlife Shelters

In Seaforth, Hope for Wildlife had hundreds of trees dropped off this year.

Volunteers at the wildlife refuge were putting some trees in porcupine pens on Monday becauseporcupines love to eat them.

Bobcats are also fansof old Christmas trees. They use them for shelter.

Shoreline

ForrestHiggins, president of the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia,says some people put their old trees on the shoreline to prevent erosion.

Lawns

Another option is to chip and mulch the trees,and put them around yourproperty and on flower beds.

Higgins says other peoplejust put them on their porch or front lawn.