MARYSVILLE — This past holiday season’s Christmas trees will be used to improve the community’s trails, thanks to the city of Marysville and area Boy Scout troops.

Members of Marysville-area Boy Scout troops 80, 81, 82, 84 and 419 picked up Christmas trees from Marysville neighborhoods in time to deliver them to the city of Marysville Parks and Recreation Department Jan. 9.

City Parks Maintenance Manager Mike Robinson estimated that between 3,500-5,000 trees were run through the chipper that day, yielding approximately 70 cubic yards of mulch, which will be stored at the Strawberry Fields for Rover Off-Leash Park until March 6. On that date, the Boy Scout troops who collected the trees will spread the mulch at Strawberry Fields and surrounding trails, according to Donna Koths of Boy Scouts Troop 80.

The Boy Scout troops that participated accepted donations for their collection efforts, and Koths emphasized that all of that money will go toward Scouting activities.

“This is a great cooperative effort that benefits everyone,” Robinson said. “We take trees that might have gone into landfills, thereby benefiting the environment and our parks alike, and the Scouts get a service project in the spring.”