Christmas Trees Left On Frozen Lake Glenview To Help Fish Breed

GLENVIEW, IL — Christmas trees dropped off for recycling with the Village of Glenview will be providing fish habitats in Lake Glenview once the ice melts. Now sitting on the water's frozen surface awaiting a thaw, the trees will soon serve as a breeding ground for fish in the 18-year-old man-made lake, according to village and Glenview Park District officials.

Since Christmas, more than 150 trees have been collected by the village and at multiple drop off sites. The trees were bundled together and put onto large wooden pallets, according to Robyn Flakne, natural resources manager in the village's public works department.

Staff then put cinder blocks in each pallet to weigh them down before they are pushed out onto the ice. The tree-stuffed pallets are then pushed out onto the ice and strategically placed in areas where the lake is deep enough for the trees to be completely underwater, according to Flakne.

Dug in 2000, the artificial lake does not have a lot of natural fish habitat on its floor.

Park district spokesperson Michele Fiore said the trees will serve as cover, habitat and breeding space for the lake's aquatic occupants.

Other trees dropped off at Glenview parks will be mulched for later use by the district, she said.

Flakne said the village tries to repeat the program every year in order to replace the habitat as it decays.

However, it didn't happen last year, as the weather wasn't cold enough to provide enough ice.