Photos provided STERLING BRUMFIELD, left, wildlife specialist with the Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District, and Logan Ambrister, Belmont County wildlife officer, tie weights to real pine trees to help them sink into a pond as the ice melts. The trees, used at Christmastime, will provide fish a safe place to hide underwater.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Real pine trees used by Belmont County residents at Christmastime are now serving as refuge for wildlife underway and out in the woods.

The Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District has deemed its Holiday Habitat program a huge success after collecting more than 40 Christmas trees for the program.

These trees are now being used for fish and wildlife habitats.

Some of the trees were attached to cinder blocks and placed on frozen ponds. Once the ice melts, these trees will sink to the bottom to provide a vertical structure that attracts fish and gives them a safe place to nest.

The rest of the trees were used to make brush piles. Brush piles offer escape cover for small animals, perches for birds, a place to nest and protection from wind and precipitation.

The trees were placed on public lands and ponds within the county.