HAMMOND - For the past 28 years, Southeastern Louisiana University has collected recycled Christmas trees each January to fortify local wetlands, and this year will be no different. 

SLU asks residents to give the environment a gift this holiday season, even if it is just a little while past the big day. 

“Recycled Christmas trees can be put back to work in our area marshes, while also reducing the waste going into landfills,” said Rob Moreau, manager of Southeastern’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station.

Each year, Moreau and his environmental awareness classes as well as local volunteers work to deploy donated trees into the wetlands to provide new habitats for wildlife and help abate further erosion. 

Theere will be several drop-off points for trees this year. Trees can be dropped off beginning Jan. 4 through the day after Mardi Gras from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hammond maintenance facility, located at 18104 Hwy. 190 next to Piggly Wiggly Supermarket. Trees should be dropped off using the gate on Falcon Dr. next to Piggly Wiggly.

During those same dates, city of Ponchatoula residents can drop off trees anytime at 385 North 4th St. by the fence. The Southeastern Sustainability Center, located at 2101 North Oak Street, will collect trees beginning Jan. 4 through the end of the month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday. Moreau said a Turtle Cove trailer is maintained at Middendorf’s Restaurant, so customers going there can also drop off trees.

 For all of these sites, no flocked trees will be accepted, and all trees should be stripped of any ornaments, lights, tinsel, stands, and nails and screws.