Some 200 Christmas trees will be repurposed in the coming months thanks to Trout Unlimited‘s annual drop-off collection in Wilton’s Merwin Meadows Park.

This past weekend at the first of two events — the second will be next Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — volunteers with the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited collected heaps of discarded trees. These will ultimately be used to help create embankments along the Norwalk River aimed at reducing the buildup of sediment and thus improving the water flow for a more vibrant habitat.

“It’s one of our marquee events,” Mianus Chapter Coordinator Gerald Berrafati said, with a 10-year history. “Everybody who’s got a Christmas tree needs to get rid of it and we’re happy to take them.”

He said that projects at specific points along the river, which will be organized in the coming months, use the trees as a kind of web to trap sediment, which strengthens the banks. This, in turn, helps reverse the erosion that has escalated in recent years and ideally prevents the river from growing wider and slowing its pace.

  • Milt Buchta of Norwalk, a retired 33-year Wilton town employee, helps out for Trout Unlimited. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Jim Crossen of Wilton finds a forgotten glass ornament in one of the Christmas trees. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Hugh Underhill of Wilton waits for more trees to arrive. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Hugh Underhill of Wilton gets a tree on a truck. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Missy Clamage of Wilton drops off her tree. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Tom Cowen collects a tree. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Jack Crossen, 16, drags some trees to the back of Merwin Meadows Park. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Russ Kohl of Wilton gets a hand dropping off his tree from volunteer Jack Crossen, 16. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Tom Cowen of Wilton pitches in. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Volunteer Jim Crossen helps with a double drop-off. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Marc de Mul of Weston and his daughter Noor, 11, take a look at the Norwalk River after dropping off their tree. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Toting trees to store at the back of the property at Merwin Meadows. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton
  • Jim Crossen of Wilton and his son Jack, 16, volunteer together. Credit: Jarret Liotta / GOOD Morning Wilton

“By making the river narrow, the water speeds up,” he said, helping to augment the growth of the habitats needed for much of the wildlife in the corridor.

Several volunteers were on hand to help collect the trees, including Hugh Underhill of Wilton, who came representing the Lake Club.

“We have a lot of fishermen up there,” he said. “I’m a big fisherman, so I like to support this.”

Others were glad to have a place to see their tree repurposed, such as Marc de Mul, who drove over from Weston.

“We do it every year,” he said, preferring this option over seeing the Christmas trees burned. “I really like it. It’s the best way to get rid of it.”

Others agreed, including Missy Clamage of Wilton.

“This is good repurposing,” she said.

“I’d much rather do this than drag it behind my house,” she said. “I have too many dead trees behind my house already.”

The final tree drop-off is Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Merwin Meadows Park (52 Lovers Ln.). A $10 donation is suggested to cover the cost of materials for summer habitat projects.