A fish out of water is one thing, but a fish in a tree is another story — and one with a happy ending.

Who knew that fish could benefit from a well-placed pine tree sunk into its habitat? One county over, the Aquaculture Center of Gadsden State Community College, for one.

A month or more ago many of us spent a magical afternoon picking out a real Christmas tree. Now, with Twelfth Night and Epiphany nigh — that’s Jan. 5 and 6 respectively — it’s high time to think about what to do with that tree once Friday rolls around.

Sage advice from the Alabama Extension is to reuse and recycle your real tree responsibly, and the most popular option to find a natural habitat for it. The most common among those most popular options: adding it to a fish habitat.

Fish find such additions attractive for many reasons: protection from predators such as larger fish or birds, and as a food source from the insects and algae that gather on its branches and trunk.

Of course, it’s not only fish who benefit from a well-positioned Christmas tree. Fishers can also find such a hiding spot in the pond good for … harvesting.

Yet not all of us have a handy pond in our back yard. But GSCC, on Wallace Drive in Gadsden, does. If you drop off your tree in front of the Aquaculture Center, the tree branches will be dropped into the schools ponds to promote the spawning of yellow perch.

But if that isn’t a viable option for your real tree — toting a spent Christmas tree across North Alabama might not be your thing — consider strategically placing it somewhere on your own landscape. Especially with trees that are piled up, wildlife, both game and non-game, will use the habitat as a form protection and as a thermal refuge. Rabbits and other small animals, especially, will find the areas as shelter during the winter, and for bird watchers, spreading a bit of peanut butter and bird seed on the branches can make your holiday enjoyment last that much longer.

If you haven’t already disposed of it, recycle your tree this year — and let the 12 Days of Christmas grow into a new tradition.