Now that Christmas has come and gone, it’s time to take down the decorations, including your Christmas tree. Did you know that the City of Edmonton has been collecting and recycling natural Christmas trees since 1990? This year, curbside collection for residents will start on Thursday, January 9. If you live in an apartment or condo, please take your natural Christmas trees to a community recycling depot or an Eco Station free of charge until January 31. The collected trees will be chipped and composted. Check out our website for full details.

The organization Don’t Move Firewood recommends not setting the used Christmas tree out in the backyard because, in the spring, pests, weed seeds and tree diseases that were invisible could emerge and impact other plants on your property and the surrounding. Be a hero and recycle your Christmas tree this January!

As the largest urban park in Canada, the River Valley is a natural wonder for all Edmontonians to be proud of. It’s also a wildlife corridor, which means animals such as songbirds, coyotes and moose use it to travel to and from different areas. Here are a few tips to follow when you’re in the River Valley:

• Keep your distance from wildlife. Wildlife can be aggressive if they are stressed, so it’s important to respect them and be aware for your own safety.

• Help keep wildlife wild. Please refrain from feeding wild animals because it can cause wildlife to lose their natural fear of humans. Animals that retain wild characteristics have higher rates of survival in urban settings as they do not depend on hand-outs for food and shelter.

• Keep cats indoors to avoid unwanted interactions between your cats and wild animals.  

• Bring your camera or binoculars and enjoy nature! Click here to learn more.

Have you seen elm trees with blackened tree trunks in Edmonton and wondered why? The scorched look is caused by European elm scale (Eriococcus spuris), a species of scale insect that feeds on elm trees. The insect sucks out the sap from the branches and leaves and then secretes a sticky honeydew onto the tree bark. Subsequently, sooty mold begins to grow on the honeydew and can cause the trees to appear blackened or scorched. Scale feeding can result in yellowing leaves and premature leaf drop. Heavy infestation may cause branch dieback or kill a weakened tree.

If you find European elm scale on your private tree(s), you can remove female scales by pressure washing or brushing branches after leaf drop in the fall or before bud break in the spring. Dormant oil can also be applied at this time to kill nymphs. For more tips on managing elm scale, please visit our webpage.

Ahh winter - the perfect time to cozy up to a warm fire! Wood fires are a big part of winter and summer celebrations, but firewood does not always lead to a good time. Devastating invasive tree pests such as Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle can easily be moved from one place to another in firewood. The larvae of tree beetles can survive and keep growing long after a tree is cut down, and can emerge and establish wherever the wood is moved to. That’s why everyone should burn it where you buy it.

In another example, Elm Bark Beetles that carry Dutch Elm Disease can be living in elm wood. Keeping elm wood for firewood is not permitted in Edmonton. If you have pruned or cut down your elm trees, they must be properly disposed of at Eco Stations or the landfill. Nothing warms the heart like knowing you helped save our local trees.

The Chinese mystery snail is native to eastern Asia, but has been introduced to North America for culinary purposes and pet trades. It's now considered invasive and has been listed as a prohibited species in Alberta since 2015, however, a recent finding by a student at Lake McGregor (SE of Calgary) marked the first detection of this species in Alberta's water; and how it got here is still a mystery. The snail has a large, brown to olive coloured shell and can grow up to six centimeters in size. It outcompetes the native species and can host parasites and diseases that could impact the health of other species.

Please keep your eyes peeled for these noticeable shells in streams and lakes when the snow melts. Under the Fisheries Act (Alberta), it's illegal to possess, release, sell or transport the Chinese mystery snail in Alberta.