Beyond Firewood

I knew the silver maple tree in my backyard was in pretty rotten shape, but hearing the decades-old tree fall was still a shock

- Susan Brackney

(As it happens, one of my nature cams captured the whole sad spectacle on video.) A combination of waterlogged soil and stiff, straight-line winds finally resulted in a fallen tree.

When I told friends what happened, they immediately jumped to the same conclusion: that I would be cutting the tree up for firewood. But I don't have a fireplace or a wood-burning stove. And now I have even less habitat for the creatures that used to depend on that old tree for shelter.

As a result, I've been doing everything but stacking new firewood. What follows are 10 ways I've been using my old tree to help feed myself and support area wildlife, too.

And who knows? Maybe the next time you're faced with a newly fallen tree, you'll give some of these a try.

BIRD REST STOPS

I used to love sitting near the old maple and watching the birds take shelter within its hollows and along its branches. Determined to restore some of what's been lost, I've created a few bird rest stops.

First, I selected some large, sturdy limbs which still had several branches attached. Then I gathered several intact and hollow log sections. To keep grass and weeds from encroaching, I removed a small section of turf and covered the area with a thick layer of cardboard and fallen leaves.