If you have a real tree adorning your home at Christmas time, then you know how wonderful it can be and how much it brightens up the holidays. You also know the work that goes into taking it down and disposing of it! Gone are the days when you could just haul the tree out to the road after taking all of the decorations off of it and leave it at the curb for the garbage crew to pick up.

If you are wondering what to do with you tree once it is taken down, then read on for some ways to recycle the tree in a manner that can benefit the environment.

Your tree can be used as a source of mulch. If you own a wood chipper or know someone who does, then you can turn the tree into garden mulch. Take your saw and cut the tree into pieces that are small enough to fit into the wood chipper.

If you like birds and birds like your yard, then use your tree to create a bird habitat. This will only work, however, if you have sufficient room in your backyard. After you take down your tree, double check it to guarantee that all of the decorations have been removed from it. Prop the tree up in your yard with some kind of stand. Whatever you use is up to you. Twine and stakes are one option. Once it’s up you need to get some food for the birds to enjoy. Hang bird feeders with different types of bird seed, as well as suet. You might want to add a variety of fresh fruits, as well as strings of popcorn.

Wreaths and garlands may be Christmas decorations, but they also can be ways to give your home some cheer throughout the winter months. Use the branches from your Christmas tree to create lovely wreaths and/or garland and then hang them on your doors. Your garage or shed would look more charming with one adorning it as well. To further add spice to your wreaths add some scented pine cones.

As the coldness and darkness of winter descends, it is important to remember all of the animals and birds in the forest who struggle with the many challenges of the season. They do not have the advantages of warm homes and ample food supplies as we do.

Perhaps you look out the window into your backyard and see two birds scrounging for morsels of food or a deer walking through your yard during the dead season of the year. Is your yard  ready to be kind to these creatures when they wander through looking for food or shelter?

In order to make your outdoors a sanctuary for wildlife during the winter months, read on for some things that you can do to help.

Make sure your birdfeeders are kept as full as possible and also make sure you sprinkle some birdseed on the ground. There are still plenty of birds that will come in the wintertime looking to see what nourishing seeds you have to offer. Having some seeds on the ground is good because this will feed the squirrels and also the birds that are not as inclined to inspect the feeders. These include sparrows, towhees and juncos.

Deer, squirrels, birds and other critters that may venture into your yard come looking for winter treats to please them. Delight these animals by offering treats in your yard. Take dried corn cobs and lay them about your yard. Put a plentiful amount of peanut butter on pine cones, and hang some up and place others in strategic spots throughout your yard. It also helps to have suet in your yard. Woodpeckers really like this tasty snack, as do squirrels.

Birds and wildlife need to drink plenty of water just as people do. For this reason, place hot water in all of your birdbaths in order to get rid of the frozen water. Whenever water freezes again do the same thing. Having a source of water to drink, bathe and play in will make the birds happy and will suit other animals as well.

Do your part to take care of the precious creatures from the forests!

Most trees that are sold for Christmas are fir, pine or spruce trees, which all fall under the category of coniferous trees. These kinds of trees can be beneficial to many kinds of wildlife in your area. For example, blue grouse eat the needles from fir trees while quail and songbirds seek shelter in conifers because of the warm air that gets trapped in the branches. Snowshoe hares, deer and elk use conifers to avoid the worst of winter weather as well as to keep themselves hidden from predators.

Before you toss out your real Christmas tree or decide to recycle it, consider using it to help out the local animals in your area. Read on for some suggestions:

Take your tree, as well as trees from other people you know, and turn them into a brush pile in a farm area, meadow or woodland in your community. Brush piles can help provide protection from the cold and the harsh elements of winter for ground squirrels, skunks, snakes, and rabbits. They also can provide dens for red foxes and sites for nesting. You can go around and build multiple piles for different species to use.

In order for brush piles to be beneficial to wildlife, they must be approximately five feet in height and 12 to 15 feet in diameter. You can simply stack trees in a grid like pattern one on top of the other. Another option is to place logs, stumps and big rocks on the ground before you make the brush pile. If you live in a windy area, you might want to place a couple of logs on the top of the pile so it will not get blown away.

If your yard does not have many trees but you do have lots of snow, then put the base of the Christmas tree into a snow bank and let the birds use it for shelter during the cold winter months.

If you have a stream or pond nearby or if one is on your property, then use your Christmas tree (and those collected from other people) to make a habitat for fish and frogs. Tie the trees together as carefully as possible and then anchor them securely with the help of big rocks.

There are lots of ways your Christmas tree can help to protect animals and their habitat if you just put your imagination to work!

The salt that is placed on roads and walkways in the winter does more than cause damage to your car and your boots. It can be detrimental to your plants, your trees, and your well-kept lawn. Even if you use salt sparingly on your driveway and walkways, damage from salt will not make itself known once spring comes and all of the snow melts away. Instead it can take a number of years for the salt content from many winter seasons to build up in the soil to the point where it has the power to kill plants.

What can you do to prevent your plants from suffering due to salt damage? First of all, take a look at the kind of salt you are using. This makes a big difference. If you use table salt on your walkway or sodium chloride, then you will want to switch to using calcium chloride. The white pellets that make up the latter type of salt are less toxic to plants and dissolve in a slower manner.

When you shovel snow that is mixed with salt, do not shovel it onto your lawn or any areas where plants are (or will be come spring). On warmer winter days if you are hosing down your driveway or walkway, make sure that you direct the flow of water away from your garden, your shrubs and your lawn. You might want to dig small grooves along the edge of walkways or your driveway that can act as extra drainage. Grooves should be no more than two inches deep with a width of no more than one- half to three-fourths of an inch.

Some plants are more tolerant of salt than others. If salt is a problem for your yard every winter, then consider planting evergreens such as ink berry or shore juniper, which can cope with a dose of salt. Other salt tolerant plants include shrubs, such as arrow wood viburnum and bayberry, and small trees, such as Lavelle hawthorn and serviceberry.

Wintertime means snow, no matter how you view it. While it may look beautiful from your living room window, many people do not look forward to shoveling it. Shoveling snow can provide a seasonal workout that can do you good, as long as you do it right. Shoveling the wrong way can lead to an injured back, shoulders, and wrists and plenty of muscle strain. In serious cases, it can bring on a heart attack.

Shoveling snow can be compared to weight lifting in that it involves a tremendous amount of exertion on the body and lots of energy output but does not engage the entire body in movement. It can lead to a fast increase in heart rate, as well as blood pressure. This winter chore is very demanding on both the cardiovascular system and the muscles.

To make sure that your shoveling experience will not result in an injury, always warm up before you grab the shovel and head for the outdoors. Walk around your home and stretch your back, arms and legs to get them limbered. Loosen your back muscles by bending forward, then backwards and then from side to side. You also can help your back by lying down and pulling your knees up to your chest. Marching in place can serve to get your blood flowing.

Buy a shovel that is most suitable for you. Lighter weight shovels that are smaller will pick up less snow at a time, but they are also less likely to cause injuries. Shovels that have a bend in them tend to be healthier for the back as opposed to straighter shovels.

It is easier to shovel snow that has just fallen as opposed to snow that is heavy and packed down, so go outside and get to work as soon as you see the snow starting to accumulate. Start out slowly. Always take breaks as you shovel, so you do not wear yourself out.

Try to push the snow whenever possible, as opposed to lifting it. This helps prevent injury to your back. Shovels with blades make this easier to accomplish.

Make sure you look out for ice under the snow as you shovel. You do not want to fall and break your neck (or anything else for that matter)! Observe winter safety at all times.