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Christmas trees

Repurposing your real Christmas tree

December 17, 2021

When the holidays are over and the needles begin to fall from your natural Christmas tree, continue to spread holiday cheer by returning your tree to nature.

Jarred Brooke, Extension wildlife specialist, and Mitch Zischke, fisheries specialist, share a few creative ways you can repurpose and recycle your tree this year.

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Mistletoe

Unexpected Plants and Animals of Indiana: American Mistletoe

December 17, 2021

What is green, popular around Christmas and steals things from trees? Other than the Grinch?

While the Grinch lives on top of a mountain, American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum) lives high up on the branches of trees. Its genus, Phoradendron, translates to “tree thief” referencing its hemiparasitic nature.

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Unexpected Plants and Animals of Indiana: Ring-necked Pheasant

December 10, 2021

In 1962’s “The Annotated Mother Goose,” author William S. Baring-Gould theorized the five golden rings included in “The 12 Days of Christmas” refer not to jewelry, but Ring-necked Pheasants. Whether his theory matches the English Christmas carol’s original meaning or not, pheasants have secured their place in the holiday season for families across rural America.

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Why ginger is at the root of holiday traditions

December 15, 2020
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