Spam From Pam

Great Plains Society of American Foresters Newsletter

January 6, 2023

What is Spam from Pam? It is an email update to inform GPSAF Members Friends about activities, events, meetings, and odds and ends happening in around Kansas and Nebraska regarding forestry or conservation. If you know any event coming up, contact Pam at pbergstrom2@unl.edu.

I will also try to include short news releases to talk about what projects are on amongst our members and our agencies. If you have an article you want published email them to me (Pam)!

Also, for those aspiring photographers, send in your pictures and I will put the publication. Share your talent with your fellow foresters. Hunting Season is here . . . Share with us your hunting pictures!

Goodbye Christmas Tree

Pam Bergstrom

<![if !vml]><![endif]>”Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! It’s Time to Say Good-Bye!” If you’re one of many of Americans with a real Chris Tree this year, you are faced with the dilemma of getting rid of your Christmas center-piece that was once adorned with ornaments lights, and maybe an angel on top! Now, what do you do it? I need to put a note here that these suggestions are for the tree, the ornaments, lights, and tinsel should be removed from the tree before doing any of these. And these suggestions are for real trees, not fake Christmas Trees.

Some communities will collect Christmas Trees at a convenient location and then convert the tree into mulch or wood chips that will go around other trees in the spring. Sounds a little like cannibalism, but that is the way of the forest if you think about it. When a tree falls in the woods and starts to decay other trees absorb the nutrients that their fallen brother sister has left behind. Rather morbid for Christmas so moving along . . .

If your community doesn’t collect Christmas Trees, there are still some other ways to dispose of your Christmas Tree. One is you can chop up the tree for firewood. If you don’t have a wood-burning stove, you can always ask around and see anyone wants to utilize your tree. With the branches and needles, you can put those around your rose bushes or other woody landscaping trees that would like the acidic needle

need the protections from being nibbled on by rabbits or rodents.

If you have property and you are seeing erosion prob along a stream, lining the banks with a few Christmas Trees help prevent erosion from spring runoff after the snow has melted. Though this is done more on the east coast of the United States to maintain sand dunes and prevent marsh from eroding, it can be applied to Nebraska’s miles of eroded river or creek banks. Just lay the Christmas Tree on its side you may need to anchor the tree with something heavy, so doesn’t erode away. The most common anchoring method ties ropes around the tree and then to some concrete block.

If you are a fisherman and you have access to your own pond, you can fully submerge the tree in the pond. The Christmas Tree, once fully submerged, will act as a protected place for fish to lay eggs and for fish habitat to stay away predators. A submerged tree will last for about 8 – 10 years. Before you dump a tree in someone else’s pond, you better ask permission first and don’t put too many trees in one area because they can cause problems to boats or complication for kayakers. The tree should sink, but when in doubt tie some weights on the Christmas Tree. This should only be done in ponds or lakes, don’t throw your tree out into a river or creek because this could cause the flowing river to plug up and water to back up.

If you have the space, you can put the tree and possibly the stand outside where you can hang goodies for the wildlife during the winter months. The branches will act as places for birds to perch and stay warm and cozy out of the snow. Once the winter is done you can send the tree through the chipper and get ready for spring plantings! You can always continue to utilize the tree in other ways too.

There are other suggestions too like de-liming the tree using the main trunk of the tree as a post or pole or burning the tree and utilizing the ashes as a form of fertilizer for other plants in your yard. If there is one that I missed that you do to recycle or reuse your real Christmas Tree let me know.

January 9 – Building Soil Health with Animal Agriculture Webinar – https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qttha9W FuaKC8xDviQ

 January 17 – Federal Funding Opportunities for Livestock Farmers Webinar – https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lMyr89e 5CiUQ4QN6Q

January 17 – Diversity Explodes with Another Boring Burn Webinar – https://oakfirescience.com/events/webinar- diversity-explodes-with-another-boring-burn/?

January 18 – Annual Agroforestry Symposium (Virtual) https://centerforagroforestry.org/annual-symposium/

 January 18 – 19 – USBI: NRCS Code 336 Soil Carbon Amendment Deep Dive Webinars. https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventRe dk=a07ejl941er99464dc1&oseq=&c=&ch=

February 3 – USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Program – Agroforestry and USDA Webinar Series – https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/resources/agroforestry- webinars.shtml

February 7 – How is Fire Ecology Different from Classical Ecology Webinar – https://oakfirescience.com/events/we how-is-fire-ecology-different-than-classical-ecology/?

 February 8 – 9 – Nebraska State Environmental Education Conference at Mahoney State Park https://www.nacee.org/conference

 February 9 – 10 – Kansas Natural Resources Conference in Manhattan, Kansas http://www.kansasnrc.org/

 February 10 – Nebraska Forest Service Presents Tree Care Workshop (Part 2 of 2) Virtual. 8:30 MST – 11:30 MST. Co Chrissy Land at chrissyland@unl.edu

February 13 – 17 – Nebraska Forest Service Winter Staff Meeting in Lincoln, NE

February 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day 2023

February 20 – President’s Day

February 21 – Mardi Gras

February 22 – Ash Wednesday

February 27 – March 10 – Southern Missouri Prescribed Fire Training Exchange – Springfield, Missouri

March 1 – Nebraska Day (Happy Birthday Nebraska!)

March 2 – Read Across America Day

March 9 – National Get Over It Day

March 11 – National Johnny Appleseed Day

March 12 – Daylight Saving Time Starts

March 14 – National Pie or Pi Day

March 15 – Ides of March

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day (Everyone is Irish Day!)

March 20 – Bock Beer Day

March 21 – International Day of Forests

March 27 – International Whiskey Day