Garden centre retailer Dobbies – along with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society – Â is encouraging people to think sustainably this Christmas, and has encouraged shoppers buying real trees to think about how they can recycle their Christmas centrepiece once the festivities are over.
Here are its top tips on how you can repurpose your cut Christmas trees to create a wildlife haven for small animals and insects to shelter in during the winter months and reduce waste in the new year. This is part of the #SustainableDobbies campaign, in which the retailer raises awareness of sustainable products and practices for customers and supporters.
1. Remove the tree from your house carefully to stop any loose needles from dropping. Wear thick gloves to protect your hands.
2. Using a good quality pair of secateurs and starting from the top, remove each branch as close as possible to the main stem.
3. Stack the branches together four or five pieces high and place onto soil or leaves under large shrubs, trees or hedges.
4. Repeat this process until all the branches are used. This will provide a great shelter for small animals and insects to protect them from the worst of the winter weather. The needles and branches will breakdown over time to produce organic matter than will enrich the soil.
5. For the main trunk of the tree, use a pruning saw to cut into 30cm lengths, which can then be stacked to make a mini log pile, which is a great habitat for wildlife to shelter in.
Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, said: “Cut real Christmas trees can be a great tool when it comes to creating a safe place for wildlife to shelter during the winter months, so we’re delighted to show people how they can make use of their trees once the Christmas decorations have come down.”
Fay Vass, Chief Executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said: “We’re delighted that Dobbies are shining a light on ways in which people can create a safe space for hedgehogs and other wildlife in their gardens. Hedgehog numbers are in decline, and they have recently been added to the UK Red List as a species that is vulnerable to extinction. We all need to play our part in improving their habitat and we hope people will take advantage of these tips to help create a safe place for wildlife in their gardens.”
Dobbies is also encouraging the children who attend its Little Seedlings Club to take the lead in creating wildlife shelters. Ethan Firth, Dobbies Little Seedling Ambassador, added: “Christmas is a time to create fond memories and what better way than to keep a memory of Christmas whilst considering the environment and being sustainable all at the same time! I plan to re-pot our family pot grown Christmas tree and reuse for next Christmas, and the cut Christmas tree in my bedroom I’m going to recycle and make into a hedgehog shelter.”
Hedgehog House and Hibernation Shelter
£35.97
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