1) Give the gift of charity- buy someone you love an acre of rainforest, or donate to their favorite conservation program in their name. Some programs will give a certificate of donation if you ask or you can easily make one on your computer as a material gift documenting the charitable contribution.
2) Cover a pinecone with peanut butter and bird seed to hang outside. Not only will this provide entertainment for you and your family, but as these birds eat they have a better chance of surviving until spring, and are more likely to lay eggs. Most of the birds you see won't be endangered but if you watch enough you might catch one nibbling on your creation. These make good gifts for birdwatchers too.
3) Volunteer at your local conservation program.- Teach, file, stuff envelopes, whatever they need help with to get the word out, get donations and use those donations effectively. Most conservation organizations rely heavily on volunteers and when the holidays come up many take vacation. If you are planning on staying home this holiday, give the regular volunteers a break and spend a few hours giving.
4) Get creative- Remember reduce, reuse, recycle? As you decorate your home, look for ways to use old everyday items. Paint the 2-liter soda bottle to look like santa or a snow man. Use comic instead of expensive giftwrap, especially for really large items, reuse gift bags and save the new one you get this year to give away next year. Look around your house and your yard to make gifts, decorate your house, and have a festive season. If you need some inspiration sites like http://www.sciswa.org/crafts.html , http://www.make-stuff.com/recycle.html and http://www.guidezone.skl.com/recyclin.htm are great resources for recycled craft ideas. The less you use the less that goes into a landfill, the more land is saved, the more animals can use it.
5) Take advantage of freebie offers from conservation societies like the World wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, and Sierra Club. Search the internet for freebie offers to use as stocking stuffers and small gifts. Each wildlife bookmark, calendar and card will remind you and your friends that these animals need your help.
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