With the holidays in the rearview mirror, Watsonville is encouraging residents to dispose of their Christmas trees properly.

Curbside pickup will take place Jan. 12 through 16. 

Only natural trees are accepted and synthetic trees will not be collected. 

The City of Watsonville asks residents to remove all lights, bases, skirts, and decorations, and to place their tree at the curb on their regular collection day.

Both natural and synthetic trees can also be dropped off Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Waste & Recycling Drop-Off Center at 320 Harvest Dr. 

Ashley Palma-Jimenez is a junior at UC Santa Cruz, where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in literature. As a writer, she is passionate about telling stories that often go unrecognized, and her goal...