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EL PASO COUNTY, COLO. -- The holiday season is over, which means it's time to take down that dried out Christmas tree.

But instead of dumping it in the trash, the city and county are asking locals to recycle their blue spruce and help the community.

"We kinda got sick of where to put it, I remember one year we put it in the backyard and it was there 'til July. So, I think this is a better way to get rid of it," Mary Justice, who was recycling family tree, said.

Rocky Top Resources is part of the seven locations collecting trees and grinding them into mulch, all for a $5 donation.

The recycling facility has collected about 2,000 trees in the past two weekends, which means $10,000 is headed back to the community and youth sports programs.

"We come down here to buy mulch, so they make it both ways.  You can pay to bring the trees down and pick the mulch up," John Smith, who was recycling family tree, said.

Hauling away the big green trees is making Cub Scout Pack 255 some green. They've turned tree removal into a fundraiser, and it's been a success. The scout pack is up 80 trees over 2011.

"This is our second load and each load has been about 45 trees, so it's quite a bit of work," Brian Woodcock, a father with Cub Scout Pack 255, said.

A bit of work that goes to a good cause.  Sunday is the last day to drop off your trees at six of the locations, but Rocky Top Resources will be collecting trees until the end of January.

Treecylce locations in Colorado Springs & El Paso County are:

Baptist Rd. Trailhead: Baptist Rd. & Old Denver Hwy.
Falcon Trailhead: SW of Woodmen Rd. & McLaughlin Rd.
Cottonwood Creek Park: Dublin Blvd. & Montarbor Dr.
Sky Sox Stadium: Barnes Rd. & Tutt Blvd.
Rock Ledge Ranch: Gateway Rd. (to Garden of the Gods). & 30th St.
Memorial Park: Pikes Peak Ave. & Union Blvd.