Why An Arizona Petting Zoo Is Feeding Christmas Trees To Goats

Goat leftover Christmas trees?

One Arizona petting zoo is using leftover Christmas trees donated by the Tuscon community to feed its goats. It's a win-win situation — goats get a yummy, festive snack and it's an environmentally conscious practice.

"We give the goats the Christmas trees because it's actually good for parasites when they eat the pine needles. The Christmas tree is totally edible by the goats it doesn’t bother them at all, and it helps to recycle trees instead of them going to landfills,” petting zoo owner Kenneth MacNeil told KGUN.

Tuscon Petting Zoo and Funny Foot Farm has been feeding Christmas trees for years, according to KGUN. It plans to continue the Christmas tree chomping tradition as long as trees keep coming in.

Potential donors can call the zoo and make arrangements to drop a Christmas tree off. Normally the petting zoo takes in about 10 Christmas trees every season.

“We’ve taken in Christmas trees anytime people have extra ones that they don’t know what to do with,” MacNeil said.

Here are other sustainable ways to recycle your Christmas tree this season, according to the Arbor Day Foundation:

• Firewood
• Mulch
• Hang bird feeders
• Drop and leave in water to feed fish
• Spread ashes on your garden
• Use branches to insulate your garden
• Store green needles to use as air fresheners
• Cut the wood into coasters