Volunteers needed to help with Christmas Tree Recycling

Reno, Nev. – Over 11,000 Christmas trees were recycled last year during Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful’s 18th annual Christmas Tree Recycling campaign. Recycled trees were chipped into mulch,and used year-round in park, river and open space projects to prevent weed growth, soil erosion and promote beautification. This year’s program is underway and lasts until Jan. 18th. In addition to getting the community out to recycle their trees, KTMB is in need of volunteers to help make it happen.

A Life More Natural group will be helping out on Monday January 18th, 1-5pm. Contact us if you’d like to join and be entered in the Action Rewards program.

Christmas tree mulch is great for preventing land erosion, weed abatement, animal bedding and the creation of walkways and paths through landscaping. This past fall, Life More Natural volunteers helped KTMB and the Department of Regional Parks and Recreation plant 200 trees during Make A Difference Day. To help those trees grow strong and survive the harsh Northern Nevada climate, we scattered Christmas Tree mulch around the base of each tree.

Mulch is also free to Truckee Meadows residents. However, it should not be used in or around flower and vegetable gardens because of the acidity of the pine chips. Persons wanting mulch must provide their own shoveling and hauling equipment.

 Special thanks to Squaw Valley for their support of the Action Rewards volunteer program.

Christmas Tree Recycling is coordinated by Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful in partnership with the City of Sparks Parks and Recreation, Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space, City of Reno Urban Forestry, Sierra Fire Protection District, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, Tholl Fence, Waste Management Recycle America, City of Reno, City of Sparks,
Washoe County, and numerous volunteer groups and individuals.

Volunteer Job Description:

• Keeps traffic moving through the area.
• Assist with unloading trees.
• Make sure trees are clean of tinsel, bases, nails, etc. The trees cannot be
  chipped with these items on them. Please be sure to save any ornaments that
  you may find so that we may have a recycled Christmas tree next year.
•  Stack the trees so they all face one direction – trunks at one side, tops on the
  other. Try to stack the trees as far back as possible . . . to save room for all
  the trees to come.

Dates, Times, and Locations:
Date: Saturday, December 26, 2009- Monday, January 18, 2010
Sites open: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
(Sites are advertised closed 30 minutes early to dissuade latecomers)

Volunteer shifts: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno
  6000 Bartley Ranch Rd. (off Lakeside Dr.)
• Rancho San Rafael Park, Reno
  1502 Washington St. (drop-off location, off Coleman St. Entrance)
•  Shadow Mountain Sports Complex, Sparks
  3300 Sparks Blvd.
• For more information, call Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful at 851-5185.