SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - About 400 Christmas trees were collected and will be turned into mulch after they were left by curbs in the borough.
Starting at 9 a.m. and ending about 3:30 p.m., Boy Scouts from Troop 622 and Cub Scout Pack 622, both of Schuylkill Haven, family members of the boys, members of the 365th Engineer Battalion Army Reserve from Schuylkill Haven and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Hamburg, joined forces to pickup trees from curbs.
For at least 40 years, the Christmas trees have been picked up, William Cripps, scoutmaster, said.
"People look forward to this," he said.
After the trees were collected, they were tossed into a 54-foot trailer.
"Last year they were stacked out in Lake Wynonah behind the old ski slope for small game habitat," Cripps said.
Too many were there now to do that this year, he said.
Rick Heckrote, 57, of 101 Roosevelt St., was outside his house putting his 8 1/2-to 9-foot tree on the curb for pickup.
"I just hope I didn't miss them," he said.
Talon Kalbach, 16, a Boy Scout, said he has volunteered for seven years.
"If they don't even donate, we take the tree for them," he said.
Donations go to the Schuylkill Haven Boy Scout and Cub Scout troop.
Judy Devlin, wife of borough mayor Mike Devlin, liked the idea of recycling the trees.
"I think it's awesome that they provide this service to the community. Most of the time they end up putting it into nature for the animals," she said.
Another person was also thankful for the tree collection. Patti Hipp drove her car to Bubeck Park to give money for the collection of her mothers tree.
"I appreciate them doing it," she said.