12/29/2025
Its almost time to take down those Christmas trees! But WAIT ๐ซฃ Check out these tips first โฌ๏ธ
๐Your Tree Could Provide Food for Wildlife๐
Many of the needles may have dropped from your Christmas tree as it dried out while indoors, but the branches should still be intact. This means your tree could be used as a frame to present food for wildlife.
After removing your indoor decorations, consider propping the tree up in your yard (perhaps using the same stand you used indoors), and adorning the branches with food enjoyed by wildlife visitors.
Some low-budget options include mesh bags filled with bird seed (black oil sunflower seed, safflower seed, and thistle (nyjer) are favorites of many common backyard birds), pine cones smeared with peanut butter, home-made suet cakes, and strings of fruit such as apple slices, orange slices, or grapes. If you choose this option, beware that you may attract not only birds, but mammals such as squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and others.
If youโd like to watch your wildlife visitors, be sure to attach the food items with string so that the animals must eat the food at the site of the tree rather than carrying it away to eat or store elsewhere out of view. Consider using a biodegradable string (i.e., cotton) to secure the food items to your tree so you can eventually compost the tree without worrying about needing to remove the string.
๐ฒ For plain, no decorations, tree ๐ฒ uses to help wildlife are also included below ๐๐ฝ ๐ฒ
Hereโs an Ornament List by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Printable PDF ๐๐ฝbelow ๐๐ฝ)
๐ 1. String of Pearls
Using a needle and thread, string together different kinds of grapes. Add variety, choice of selection and color by alternating grapes, raisins and cranberries.
๐ฟ 2. Popcorn Party
String popcorn together using a needle and
thread. Make sure that the popcorn is 100% natural with no butter or salt. Add variety by
stringing cranberries separately or together with the popcorn.
๐ช 3. Cracker Bracelet
Purchase any size or shape crackers. The crackers must be salt tree. String them together with a needle and thread into a round bracelet.
๐ 4. Apple/Orange slices
Cut thin slices of apples and oranges. Hang each slice separately, with colorful ribbons, all
๐พ 5. Millet delight
Purchase millet from vour feed and seed store. Tie a red ribbon at the top and hang it from the tree.
๐ 6. Bird Bags
Make these just like a wedding rice bag except substitute bird seed for rice. Purchase some net material and fill it with any kink of bird seed. It is helpiul to add some finely crushed eggshells to the seed mixture to supplement the birds diet with calcium. Tie a red ribbon at the top and hang it trom the wee.
๐ฅ 7. Peanut Heaven
Take several raw peanuts and string them together with a needle and thread.
Tie a colortul ribbon at the top to help attract birds.
๐ฒ 8. Pine Cones
Collect big or small pine cones. Mix peanut butter with oatmeal for a thick
consistencv. Apply the mixture inside and around the pine cone
and roll in bird seed. lang it with a r10001.
๐ฅ 9. Suet Loot
Suet is a popular bird food Melt beef fat or bacon grease and let it cool. Add old seeds, peanut putter, fruit, or granola. Mesh onion bags make good suet containers and are easy to hang.
๐ฅ 10. Table Scraps
Instead of throwing away table scraps, think of
creative ways to hang them by suinging them together or putting them in a net bag to hang.
๐Print Wildlife Ornaments directions, go to:
https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/christmas.pdf
๐Some photos and more ideas from Backwoods Mama | Raising Outdoor Kids
https://www.backwoodsmama.com/2021/12/decorate-tree-wildlife.html
๐ฒ Plain uses included ๐ฒ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service article
published in Medium com
https://medium.com/usfws/recycling-christmas-trees-for-wildlife-6dc533092d05
๐ Step by Step Photo Instructions by Claire Jones | The Garden Diaries
https://thegardendiaries.blog/2021/01/11/how-to-turn-your-old-christmas-tree-into-a-wildlife-magnet/
๐ ToBeAKidAgain Winter Bird Feeder Cookies with photo instructions
https://web.archive.org/web/20200521214115/https://www.creativelittleexplorers.com/making-birdseed-cookies-diy-winter-bird-feeder/
๐ฒ Read all the ways to use tree ๐ฒ brush pile and fish ๐ชธ in UF IFAS Blog that inspired this post. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nfrec/2016/12/16/your-christmas-tree-could-benefit-winter-wildlife/
