If you want to celebrate the holiday with local wildlife this season you can! After all Christmas is all about the spirit of giving. So instead of giving wildlife trouble with tinsel and hanging lights, decorate a tree for them they can actually enjoy. Here are 5 simple ways that you can create a wildlife friendly tree outside of your home.
What Does A Wildlife Friendly Tree Look Like?
A wildlife friendly tree simply put just must be safe for wildlife. For example, people often loosely hang lights across the trees in their yards. Sometimes, when deer come up to investigate they get caught in the light strands. Additionally, the lights can disturb or confuse nocturnal animals. Finally, putting fake berries, glass ornaments or things that animals shouldn't ingest can also cause problems. A wildlife friendly tree attempts to mitigate all of those issues and provide ornaments that are safe for the local animals to consume. Now that you have an understanding of what a wildlife friendly tree is, let's discuss five quick ways to make one.
1. Use Dehydrated Fruit
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Dehydrated fruit are safe ornaments that wildlife like deer can safely enjoy. Select a variety of fruits to add different colors to your tree. Just like ornaments but instead of plastic balls you have natural colored fruits.
2. Create Bird Feeders
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Speaking of fruit, another way to make a wildlife friendly tree is to focus on the birds. You can make a bird feeder out of an orange rind. Have half of the rind act as a cup and fill it with bird seed. Poke two small holes on either side and loop string through them. Tie it to the branches of your tree. The orange will give a pop of color while the birds enjoy the seed.
3. Add Some Peanut Butter Pinecones
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Turns out deer like peanut butter too. Collect some pinecones and dip them in peanut butter. Then attach them to your tree with string or just place them among the branches. Pinecones are a nice natural touch that looks and tastes great to the local wildlife. You can also roll them in some bird seed after you roll them in peanut butter.
4. Make Bird Seed Ornaments
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If you want your tree to have ornaments that more closely resemble the kind you would have on your indoor tree you can make them out of birdseed. Wilderchild offers a step by step method on how to make these incredible and wildlife friendly ornaments for your tree.
5. Make A Wildlife Friendly Garland
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Throw some cranberries and peanuts on a string and wrap it around your tree like a garland or beads. Deer and birds can eat cranberries and peanuts and will enjoy the delicious and decorative snack you have added to the tree. Some people also opt for cranberry and popcorn instead.
