When Hanover resident Mary Ann Cadwallader gave birth to her son on Earth Day in 1970, she took it as a sign that she should do her part to protect the environment. Cadwallader decided to join the Hanover Recycling Committee, which runs conservation oriented events including the Recycle-Your-Christmas-Tree gathering held at the Hanover Public Works Department on Jan. 13.
The Hanover Recycling Committee shreds Hanover residents' old Christmas trees into mulch with a powerful Bandit chipper. Funded by the town of Hanover, the annual event recycles roughly 200 trees every January and has been popular for nearly 20 years.
"People come every year, and they are really excited about it," said Lyn Miller, head of the Hanover Recycling Committee. "We're glad to do this as a community for the community."
According to Miller, the Hanover Grounds Department uses the mulch for local landscaping at places such as the Pine Knoll Cemetery.
Miller added that mulch made from Christmas trees is very acidic, a quality that makes it particulary effective for maintaining acidic soil conditions for plants such as rhododendrons.
Brian Smith, an employee of the Hanover Grounds Department, was glad to make use of the recycled mulch.
"It's wasteful just to cut down trees and then throw them away," Smith said.
Most participants donate their mulch to the Hanover Grounds Department, but they are also encouraged to bring a large container and take their mulch home.
Though many Hanover residents recycled their Christmas trees this year, Miller hopes more will give back to the community next January at the event.
"We have 3,000 households in Hanover," Miller said. "I'd like to see us get a lot more Christmas trees in the future."
Hanover High School juniors Samantha Barlow and Sage D'Aprile volunteered at the event through Youth in Action, an organization that promotes youth involvement in the community.
"I've been dtoing this since freshman year," Barlow said. "It's an easy way to give back to the community and help save the planet."
Although most Dartmouth students don't have Christmas trees on campus, they have expressed their support of the event.
"I'm impressed that Hanover residents are so enthusiastic about recycling," Environmental Conservation Organization member Daisy Jones '10 said. "Hopefully Dartmouth students can take this as an example of proactive conservation."
