Dalby Forest Christmas tree service in exchange for a charity donation
Canine gentle giants will help to raise funds for a mountain rescue team in the run-up to Christmas.
A pack of newfoundland dogs will help carry visitors’ Christmas trees back to their vehicles in Dalby Forest during two weekends, and Scarborough and Ryedale and Mountain Rescue Team will benefit through donations for each tree transported.
Donations for the service will be split with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in the Forestry Commission-run weekends, using dogs from the Aqua Nova Water Bears training club.
Web-footed ‘newfies’, which can weigh up to 12 stones (76kg), were once used as working dogs by Canadian fishermen to pull nets from the sea. The dogs are strong swimmers, employing a canine version of breaststroke, rather than dog paddle. Also used as water rescue dogs, one is credited for saving Napoleon who fell overboard while escaping from Elba in 1815.
Yvonne Bone, who co-ordinates the group set up earlier this year, said: “They are docile and wonderful with children, but because they are such a big dog they are more of a lifestyle than a pet.
“They are a little known breed in the UK, but we are dedicated to keeping them active doing the things they were bred for. They love being out and working at Christmas.”
Katie Thorn, Forestry Commission recreation manager, added: “It’s a fantastic crowd-pleasing way to buy a tree and have the dogs tow it back to the car in a cart.
“Real trees use 10 times fewer materials to produce and five times less energy than artificial trees so it’s a good way of being kind to the planet.”
The dogs will in Dalby on the weekends of 10 and 11 December and 17 and 18 December, along with a green Father Christmas – the traditional English Santa. Forest toll charges will be refunded when buying a tree.
Forest managers also issued the following advice to members of the public when choosing Christmas trees:
- Norway spruce, made famous by Prince Albert in the 19th century, has a mid-green colour, fine delicate foliage and grand conical stature. It also has a distinctive ‘Christmassy’ aroma
- Lodgepole pine is an extremely fragrant conifer with an attractive blue and green tinge and soft needles
- Nordmann fir has distinctive broad, bold green needles and contrasting whitish undersides.
And a list of simple tips will keep trees fresher well into the New Year:
- Cut off at least one inch from the bottom of the trunk and gently shake the tree to remove any loose needles
- Pot the tree with the trunk immersed in water; don’t use sand or soil in the tree stand as they restrict water from being drawn up into the trunk
- Top up the tree stand with water every day.
