HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Natural trees donated to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources “Christmas for the Fishes” tree recycling program can give a home to fish in many Kentucky lakes in the coming year. This annual program uses evergreens donated after the holiday season to create underwater habitats that help fish thrive.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says they will be accepting evergreen trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 16, 2026, at 37 drop-off locations across the state, according to a news release. Donations of real trees that are free of lights, garland and decorations will be accepted. Their map shows one drop off location in Hopkinsville, at the Walmart on Clinic Drive. Donations at this store will benefit fisheries in Western Kentucky.
“Donated Christmas trees are put to work in local reservoirs as fish habitat, where they’re arranged in clusters that create dense branches and small pockets for young fish to hide,” said Spencer Phillips, a fisheries biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “These structures also attract sportfish, offering opportunistic feeding as smaller fish venture out from cover.”
These donated trees will be anchored to environmentally friendly weights and submerged at various depths in different lakes and reservoirs across Kentucky to provide places for fish to feed, shelter and spawn. They make great refuge and feeding habitat for game fish, as well as small fish and invertebrates that are crucial for a thriving ecosystem.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife says the donated trees will help restore woody structures that have previously decayed in lakes, providing protective cover and shade for a variety of fish species.
Contact Nick Simpson at 270-759-5299 for more information about drop-off in Hopkinsville or find other locations on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
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