Thanksgiving is less than a week away which may have you thinking about holiday decorating and shopping for family and friends. Therefore, I would like to offer a few tips on Christmas tree selection and care, and some suggestions for natural resources related gifts for the outdoor enthusiast on your shopping list.

If you are trying to find the freshest natural Christmas tree to decorate this season, you might want to seek out one of the "cut your own" local tree growers in central Illinois. The other source of a natural tree is a one of the many precut Christmas tree lots and retailers. The freshness of a pre-cut tree is determined by the tree's moisture content that is remaining since harvesting.

Obviously you can't measure the moisture content of the tree when shopping for a tree, but there are some guidelines to use to estimate its freshness. First, look at the needles, they should be flexible and have a waxy, natural green or blue-green appearance. Next, gently bend the tips of the branches to make sure they are flexible. Also, if it is not below freezing, the tree's needles should remain attached to the branches when you run your hand along them.

Once you have purchased a tree, there are several things you can do to help maintain its freshness. First, avoid hauling your tree over long distances exposed to the wind, as this dries the needles very rapidly. When you get your tree home, cut 1 to 1 ½ inches off the base of its trunk, and immediately place it in a container of water or a tree stand. If you are not going to decorate the tree immediately, store it in a cool environment, out of the wind, such as a garage or porch area.

Secondly, it is critical that you maintain a constant supply of water to the tree. If your tree stand goes dry, the trunk will quickly seal over with sap and stop absorbing water. So, monitor the water level in your stand closely because a tree may use up to one gallon of water during the first 24 hours, and may average a quart a day for the first week. You do not need to put additives in the tree's water supply to maintain its freshness.

Even a well-cared for tree will not last forever indoors. Monitor the condition of your tree's needles for dryness and brittleness to determine how long the tree can safely be kept indoors.

After you have your tree purchased, you may be looking for gifts for family and friends. If you have a natural resource enthusiast on your shopping list, a subscription to The Illinois Steward magazine will keep on giving throughout the year. This publication is designed to help residents in Illinois explore and understand the incredible diversity of natural resource in the state. You can find out more about the Illinois Steward at http://ilsteward.nres.uiuc.edu/.

Second on my gift list is a book entitled, "Creating Habitats and Homes for Illinois Wildlife". If you have someone on your list that is interested in learning how to create wildlife habitat, including in the backyard, then this book would be a valuable resource. The book's two hundred pages include color photographs, habitat issues and management techniques that wildlife enthusiasts will find useful in creating more wildlife habitat in the backyard, woodland, wetland, grassland and aquatic areas on their property. More information about this book can be found at

https://pubsplus.uiuc.edu/ .

Enjoy your holidays and take time for a family winter walk in the woods. If you have questions feel free to contact the University of Illinois Champaign Extension Unit office at 333-7672.