Christmas Trees Are A Gift

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Nothing beats a real Christmas tree - and one grown nearby, such as in Pennsylvania, is even better.

Growing trees actually cleans our water and air while producing oxygen so we can breath! Trees provide windbreaks in winter, keep you cooler in summer, and help prevent flooding by controlling water runoff - all while sheltering wildlife from birds to bunnies and bears.

Locally-grown Christmas trees also provide jobs for people all around us - from tree growers to nurseries and shopkeepers who sell them. Plus local trees can be cut closer to Christmastime, making them fresher, safer, and super-good smelling!

Real Christmas trees are a very renewable resource, because new ones are quickly replanted, and the old ones are easily recycled in your yard or collected by your community and chipped into mulch to protect the roots of other growing plants in years to come… such as future Christmas trees.