Now that the holiday season has concluded, Portagers may be left with a Christmas tree that's gathering dust.

Rather than just tossing it into a landfill, Andrew Holland with the National Conservancy of Canada (NCC) says there's a better, and maybe even easier, way to dispose of the tree. For starters, you can simply toss it in your backyard so overwinter birds can get to it while they try to deal with the harsh temperatures.

"The goal is to encourage people in Portage la Prairie and in the Central Plains area to really consider placing their Christmas trees in their backyard," notes Holland. "Either just chuck it off your deck, or lean it up against another tree and let the birds have at it."

He mentions, as the tree is used by these birds, the tree will start to decompose organically and you'll really notice by May, as all the needles will have fallen off. After that, you can speed up the process by cutting down any branches that are still on the tree.

"Now we understand totally that this idea won't be for everyone," mentions Holland. "There are people in condos and apartment buildings that don't have a backyard. Also, if they live in a condo or an apartment building, maybe they weren't allowed to use a natural Christmas tree."

He adds there are still ways for people who don't have a backyard to contribute, including contacting a farm, or an animal rehab facility/shelter.

To learn more about the NCC, click here.