Charity can make use of trees after Christmas

WHAT to do with your Christmas tree after Christmas is over can often prove a problem.

Now a hospice has come up with a solution that allows you to get rid of your unwanted spruce or fir in a way that’s in keeping with the Christmas spirit.

St Kentigern Hospice in St Asaph is offering to take away your old tree in return for a donation to the charity.

They will use the trees to help restore sand dunes and protect the coast near Prestatyn, in partnership with Denbighshire and Flintshire county councils.

Sand dunes help defend against beach erosion and coastal storms, and the branches of the trees will help bind the sand together to provide additional protection.

Organisers hope to plant dozens of discarded Christmas trees in the dunes to prevent hundreds of tonnes of windblown sand from sweeping inland and help strengthen the beach’s natural defences. The project also enhances the local habitat, because the trees provide a rich source of nutrients for dune grasses as they decompose.

St Kentigern Hospice fundraising manager Laura Parry said: “The message we’re hoping to send out is that trees really aren’t just for Christmas – they can keep on giving long after the decorations have been put back in the loft.

“As well as helping to safeguard an important stretch of the Prestatyn coastline, local people can help raise much-needed funds to enable us to continue the vital work of the hospice and other good causes by donating their Christmas trees in the New Year.

“Disposing of the Christmas tree once the festive period has drawn to a close is a job we would all rather do without.

“With the help of our volunteers, we can take the stress away this January and keep the legacy of the tree very much alive by ensuring they continue to make a difference for future generations.”

The hospice is inviting local people to sign up to a collection slot on the weekend of January 13-15 in exchange for a small donation.

Volunteers will then put the trees to good use, planting them in the sand dunes which require the most urgent repair work.

Denbighshire County Council countryside officer Garry Davies said: “The preferred approach to sand dune restoration is to allow natural processes to find a balance.

“However, at the location concerned, the dunes have been damaged by man-made actions and, if left unchecked, they will not be able to act as a natural sea defence.

“Using Christmas trees to trap windblown sand is a traditional and proven dune management technique,” he added.