Dear Bird Folks,

I’m feeling guilty about taking our Christmas tree to the dump after only two weeks. Is there something that I can do with the tree that will be of benefit to the birds?

– Judy, Eastham

Hi Judy,

There is something you can do and Eastham is the perfect town for it. The birds would love it if you set up your old tree near your feeding station. It would offer birds extra protection from the cold winter winds and provide additional cover from hawks. Just remember to remove all of the old tinsel, the ornaments in the shape of Elvis and the plastic string of chili peppers that light up.

The reason Eastham is a good town for this is that many outer Cape homes have yards that are naturally landscaped. No one would care about an additional odd tree that was set up for a few months in the middle of winter. However, if you live in a place like Osterville, where most plants have assigned seating, a randomly placed recycled Christmas tree could cause a landscaper to have a stroke. In that case, you should have your old tree bronzed and save it for next year.