A little Christmas tree inspiration. http://bit.ly/1RICa7m | House Beautiful

That dead tree isn't dead. It's the most ALIVE thing in your yard. 🪵🦉 A standing dead tree - called a "snag" - supports over 1,000 species. Woodpeckers drill for insects. They create holes. They move on. Owls move in. Squirrels move in. Bats roost under peeling bark. Native bees nest in old beetle tunnels. Meanwhile, fungi decompose the wood. Insects feast. Birds eat the insects. Hawks eat the birds. The whole food chain runs through that "ugly" dead trunk. A living tree? Beautiful. Important.