P.E.I. decking the dunes with old Christmas trees

Some discarded Christmas trees are being used by Parks Canada to help with dune restoration in P.E.I. National Park.

The trees, which are provided by Island Waste Management Corporation, are used in the dune areas of the park impacted by human interference.

Kerry-Lynn Atkinson, a park ecologist and team leader for Parks Canada, said it's a great way to reuse the trees and put them back into nature, and it's a program that has really been working over the years.

"We kind of put in a request to Island Waste Management Corporation, usually in November. And then in January, they will very generously bring us out a truckload or two of the Christmas trees and we'll store them in the park for the season."

The trees are laid down parallel to the dune system, and are staked together to tie them to the location.

Through the winter, they start to provide a structure for the sand to be recaptured and hold it in place.

Trees that came down in the park during post tropical storm Dorian were used in this manner, Atkinson said.

Island Waste Management will begin collecting discarded Christmas trees curbside on Jan. 11.

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