COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Now that Christmas has come and gone, South Carolina wildlife officials say Christmas trees can have a second life that's good for the state's fish and small animals.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources says discarded trees can be put to good use in rural areas as erosion control or brush piles that give cover for small animals like quail and rabbits.
Biologists say trees can also be attractive to fish in the state's reservoirs. Fish attractor sites are marked by buoys. On the bottom of lakes, Christmas trees can also make a good habitat for the aquatic insects that serve as food for small fish.
Local Clemson Extension offices also have locations and numbers for programs that grind up leftover trees into mulch.