Southeastern to collect discarded Christmas trees to enhance wetlands
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University is asking area citizens to give the
environment a gift after Christmas this year. Discarded Christmas trees can be dropped
off and used for a wetland restoration rather than throwing them out with the trash.
“We can put the old Christmas trees to work in our area marshland while also
reducing the waste stream going into landfills,” said Rob Moreau, manager of Southeastern’s
Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station located on Pass Manchac between lakes Pontchartrain
and Maurepas.
Although grant funding from the state for Christmas Tree recycling in many areas
ended years ago, local partners have stepped up with donations to fund the collection
of trees and make the project possible. This marks the 24th straight year Southeastern
has conducted its recycled tree program. Moreau depends on volunteers and students
to deploy the trees in the Manchac wetlands. It is estimated that approximately 40,000
trees have been deployed through the Southeastern program since that time.
Southeastern scientists at Turtle Cove use the discarded trees to help build
up marshland in areas that have been impacted by erosion and other factors, said Moreau.
Moreau said the trees will be used in a variety of ways, including ongoing research
on the trees’ effects on helping to fill in test logging ditches, creation of Christmas
tree “mounds” to create habitats for wildlife and, of course, help to control erosion
along various shorelines, most recently occurring on Galva Canal.
This practice also provides hands-on environmental education opportunities for
students and other volunteers who help with the project.
Collaborating in the project for the fourth year is the Southeastern Sustainability
Center on North Oak Street, which will serve as a drop-off point for area residents
to leave their used Christmas trees. Other partners include the city of Hammond and
Middendorf’s Restaurant in Manchac, also as drop-off sites.
A new drop-off location has been added this year in Madisonville. Trees can now
also be taken to Pennington’s Hardware and Screenprinting, located at 407 Highway
22 W.
Trees can be dropped off beginning Jan. 3 through Mardi Gras from 7 a.m. to 3
p.m. at the Hammond Maintenance facility, 18104 Hwy. 190, next to Piggly Wiggly Super
Market. The Southeastern Sustainability Center, 2101 North Oak Street, will collect
trees beginning Jan. 3 through the end of the month from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through
Thursday and 8 to 10 a.m. on Friday; and Pennington’s Hardware and Screenprinting
will accept trees during the same time period from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Moreau
said a Turtle Cove trailer drop off site will also be maintained at Middendorf’s Restaurant
beginning Jan 4.
He said the city of Hammond will provide transport of collected trees to the
Turtle Cove Galva Canal parking lot area in Manchac, where they will be stored until
they are deployed in the marshes in March.
No flocked trees will be accepted, and all trees should be stripped of any ornaments,
lights, tinsel, stands, nails and screws, etc.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting Moreau at rmoreau@southeastern.edu or by visiting the website at www.southeastern.edu/turtlecove.
Donations to help support the activity can be sent by check payable to “Friends
of Turtle Cove” and mailed to Southeastern Box 10585, Hammond, LA 70402 or can be
made by credit card by visiting the Turtle Cove web site and under the “Friends and
Donors” link.