Dead Trees~WildlifeHabitat

Before you cut down that old dead tree in your backyard, consider leaving a 10-15’ snag (a dead tree left upright to decompose naturally).  Many animals, including birds, bats, squirrels and raccoons make nests in hallow cavities and crevices of snags. 

And before you hall away that log (fallen tree or part of a snag), know that by attracting insects, mosses, lichens and fungi, dead wood becomes a gourmet restaurant for wildlife looking for a snack.  The removal of dead material from nature can mean a loss of habitat for up to one-fifth of the God’s creatures in our ecosystem.

Restrain Methane

People are continuously encouraged to recycle. But did you know that composting may be just as important?

After 40 years in landfill, a buried carrot is still intact and bright orange on the inside (preserved better in landfill than in your refrigerator).  Organic matter needs air to decompose properly. When food and other organic material finally do begin to decompose anaerobically (without air) in a dump, methane, a greenhouse gas, is released.  Methane is more than 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Because composting is an aerobic process, which exposing the matter to air, it only produces carbon dioxide and not methane.

Yearly Impact: If the average family composted regularly, or put food scraps in their yard waste container to be composted by the city, each household would prevent about 30 pounds of methane emissions per year, the equivalent of around 620 pounds of carbon dioxide (the same as what a small car driving 1,200 miles would emit).