Yule Trees Recruited for Double Duty : Wild Animal Park, Ecology Center to Return Them to Earth

The San Diego Wild Animal Park and the San Diego Ecology Center are offering alternatives to those who want to do something more than just throw away their Christmas trees.

They have set up recycling programs for the used trees in hope that yesterday’s holiday decorations can be used in tomorrow’s soil enrichment and landscaping.

The response to the four-year-old tree recycling program at the Wild Animal Park has been the biggest ever, park spokeswoman Lori Eldridge said.

“We literally have mountains of cut trees,” Eldridge said. “There must be some 6,000 trees out there already. It sure seems to be the biggest reception we’ve ever gotten.”

Eldridge added that the park has received many calls from nurseries and supermarkets that have leftover trees to be recycled.

Potted live trees will be replanted in the park’s Urban Forest, and cut trees will be shredded into mulch and used for enriching soil and controlling erosion in the park’s exhibits, she said.

“We get very few live trees but all of the trees that are donated are much appreciated,” Eldridge. “Our only regret is that we can’t provide transportation, so those wishing to donate their tree will have to deliver here themselves.”

Trees will be accepted at the park through the end of January.

The San Diego Ecology Center will accept donated tree at three locations through Jan. 7: the Miramar landfill in Kearny Mesa, the Montgomery Ward parking lot at Mission Valley Center, and the Chollas Recycling Center on College Grove Drive.

“The trees (from Mission Valley and Chollas Recycling Center) will all be taken to Miramar and mulched, and that in turn will be used in landscaping and revegetation,” said Teresa Mulligan, a city sanitation truck driver.

Although the ecology center accepts flocked trees, the Wild Animal Park does not, Eldridge said.

“Even though tests have been done and it has been found that the material used for flocking is not toxic to humans, no tests have ever been conducted to determine if the material is toxic to exotic animals,” Eldridge said. “We are putting this stuff out in the exhibits, and we don’t want to endanger any of our animals.”