Drop-Off Your Old Christmas Tree
You’re probably thinking to yourself – It’s January, why are we still talking about Christmas trees? It’s because Christmas trees continue to work for us even after the holidays and they deserve credit for that!
January may not be the best month for in-stream aquatic restoration work. However, it’s prime time to collect materials for restoration projects in the summer.
Why do we collect Christmas trees?
For over a decade, we’ve collected Christmas trees and installed them along the banks of the river at UCCA. Before it became a conservation area, the land was used for cattle pasture and cattle had open access to the river.
Over time, cattle damaged the riverbanks, causing erosion. This caused the river to widen, which then caused water temperatures to increase. The Upper Credit River is a coldwater fishery. That means increases in water temperature combined with habitat degradation impacts sensitive species like brook trout.
Christmas trees are an excellent material for in-stream restoration. They are biodegradable and have needles and branches that trap sediment flowing downstream. Over time, trees collect sediment which narrows the river channel by forming new banks. The river also becomes deeper helping to make the river cooler. Newly formed banks can also be planted with trees and shrubs that shade the river further, helping to lower water temperature.
Thank you to the community and everyone who expressed interest or donated a Christmas tree. We cannot do this work without your support.
Stay tuned for updates on our final year of restoration at UCCA!
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That is amazing to see the difference and that people are caring for our environment. If we still have a tree can it be dropped off still?
Thank you for your interest in our Christmas Tree Collection event. Apologies for the late reply. We have had a few inquiries about tree drop-offs and we were trying to coordinate a day, time, and location. We are pleased to tell you that we will be accepting trees at our Meadowvale Shop, located at 7060 Old Mill Lane, Mississauga, on January 22nd from 10AM to 11AM. If you could kindly confirm your attendance, that would be greatly appreciated.
Can we still drop off Christmas trees somewhere even in the springtime?
Thanks
Thank you for your interest in our Christmas Tree Collection event. Apologies for the late reply. We have had a few inquiries about tree drop-offs and we were trying to coordinate a day, time, and location. We are pleased to tell you that we will be accepting trees at our Meadowvale Shop, located at 7060 Old Mill Lane, Mississauga, on January 22nd from 10AM to 11AM. If you could kindly confirm your attendance, that would be greatly appreciated.
Thats absolutely awesome and very interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you so much. My tree is in my backyard waiting for the city pick up. I always wanted to know what happened to them. Great work!
Glad to know that the good ole Tannenbaum has another use. I know the same strategy is being deployed at Princess Point (RBG) as well. One question I have is cut trees give off acidity and isn’t there a concern for the aquatic life?
Exactly what beavers do, on a larger scale. The City should get more involved in projects like
this
I donated a Christmas tree this year, and it’s great to read this piece to give more information on how my tree will be used to help the park!
Can I still drop my tree off at the Alton CVC?
Hi Denise, we are no longer taking Christmas trees. We will likely have another event next year so watch out for our events page next holiday!