Environmental Facts

A myth that is prevalent in this era of greater ecological awareness holds the notion that artificial trees are environmentally friendly. This is simply not true. Artificial trees, often replaced every 5 or 6 years, do not decompose thus adding to the ever increasing problem of waste disposal.

Commercially grown Christmas trees such as those grown at Vivian Plantation are farmed, not cut from the forest. Harvesting trees farmed for this purpose is not harmful to the environment. In fact young trees, such as those grown as Christmas trees, produce more oxygen than older trees and are therefore even better for the environment than older forested areas.

Freshness and health are the most important characteristics even in harvest your own trees. At Vivian Plantation the health of the evergreens on the property is a key consideration for the Grose family. Trees are grown using the most natural means possible with pesticides in use only to contain Gypsy Moth infestations.

Real Trees vs Artificial Trees:

Real trees have positive effects on the environment:

• Just one acre of Christmas trees produces the daily oxygen requirement for eighteen people. Young trees produce more oxygen than older trees.

• Young trees consume methane in the production of oxygen and are better for the environment than older trees, which produce methane as the fallen plant material around their bases decomposes.

• With the exception of cultivated forests, Christmas trees, are the most environmentally friendly crop produced anywhere. Trees are harvested after 10 years of growth. To ensure future harvests, 90 percent of the farm must remain in trees at all times.

• For every Christmas tree harvested there are 10 more coming along, otherwise the professional tree farmer would not have trees to harvest in years to come.

• Christmas trees encourage energy conservation through cooling, shade and wind reduction.

• Trees remove air pollutants - filtering up to 13 tons of airborne pollutants per acre per year.

• They filter dust.

• They provide habitat for wildlife including grosbeaks, sparrows, chickadees, foxes, coyotes, mice, moles and squirrels.

• They alleviate erosion caused by storm water run off.

• Real trees positively affect the local economy, providing employment for thousands of Canadians all year round.

• Real trees encourage enhanced knowledge of the environment.

• They rid the air of carbon dioxide, thereby reducing the earth-warming greenhouse effect, which occurs with the the use of fossil fuels.

• They provide an aesthetically pleasing improvement to the land.

• They bring value to land that could not be used to grow other crops.

• They are naturally biodegradable. Most towns and municipalities collect trees after Christmas and convert them into mulch. The mulch will break down and return the tree's stored nutrients to the soil from which they came.

• They can be used as bird feeders, wood products can be made from their stems or they can be used as wildlife cover in fish ponds and woodlots alike.

• Real trees are a renewable resource.

Artificial trees...

• Are made with plastic and metal – environmentally damaging and non-renewable resources.

• When disposed of, they pollute our sadly over-worked landfill sites indefinitely. They are not biodegradable. (The average household replaces their artificial tree every six years, creating massive damage to the environment.)

• May be fire resistant, but plastics give off dangerous toxic fumes when burned.

• If made of metal, artificial trees should not be used with electric lights because of the danger of electric shock.

• Require a storage place during the 11 months of the Christmas off-season.

You can be assured that your natural Christmas tree is great for the environment and provides employment for thousands of Canadians.