Wednesday, May 13, 2009


After the year’s harvest of Christmas trees is cut and carted away, tree farms continue to provide open space for the aesthetic enjoyment of people and the survival of countless wildlife species.
One tree farm manager describes his crop as “revolving condos” for birds, who return year after year to build nests in the larger trees, flocking to different parts of the farm as one year’s crop is cut down to make way for another. (In this photo, New Hampshire's state bird, the purple finch, surveys his domain on a NH tree farm.) Turkeys, moose, deer, bears, and countless other species also benefit from the habitat provided and maintained by tree farmers.
Human visitors should always ask permission from the landowner before roaming a tree farm or other private property.