Turn the Holidays Green - Earth Friendly Gifts and Tips

The folks at the National Wildlife Federation make some suggestions for green gifts this holiday season!

This holiday season, "green" is all the rage. Here are some ideas from the National Wildlife Federation for exciting ways to spread holiday cheer and do something good for the planet too.

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Ranger Rick makes a great kids gift.

Nature Friendly Gift Ideas:

Bird Houses and Feeders: These inexpensive gifts add personality to any yard and give wildlife a place to call home. Or how about a “do-it-yourself” family project like homemade edible ornaments that will make your yard look festive and feed the birds at the same time? www.wbu.com has a great product line and is an enthusiastic supporter of NWF’s Green Hour project, www.greenhour.org.

Organic, Sustainable and Free Trade Products: From coffee and wine to wreaths and flowers, many programs deliver “green” and environmentally friendly products to homes that will be a tasty or beautiful reminder of your holiday spirit.

Greenmountaincoffee.com is a fair-trade organic coffee that helps protect migratory bird habitat by using shade grown coffee beans. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters offers coffee, sweet treats, gift baskets, brewer systems, and more!

Organicbouquet.com is the premiere floral resource for holiday wreaths. Organic Bouquet offers the finest floral gifts sourced from growers that are committed to the highest social and environmental standards. Each bouquet in the collection is hand selected and shipped fresh from the farm, ensuring optimal product quality upon delivery.

NaturesWineClub.com collection celebrates the natural beauty and diversity of nature. Bottled from environmental-friendly vineyards.

Magazine Subscriptions for Kids: Get the kids away from the video games with engaging magazines like NWF’s classic, award winning nwf.org/RangerRick. It’s fun and interactive just like Wild Animal Baby and Your Big Backyard for the younger kids.Unplug the kids and get them connected to nature!

Adopt Wildlife or Wild Places: From polar bears to sea turtles, symbolic adoptions offer gift givers and recipients the knowledge that the donations are being used to help protect imperiled wildlife and habitat across America. Check out the nwf.org/adoptioncenter today!

Experience Nature: Technology can help you experience nature too. Take the new Identiflyer on a nature hike to identify the calls of 216 birds and frogs. For the less tech savvy, NWF’s field guides are a traditional way to connect with nature. Both make great gifts!

Green Holiday Tips:

Christmas Trees and Lights: Buy an organic, locally grown Christmas tree. Trees provide habitat for wildlife and absorb carbon dioxide while they are growing. A better idea is buy a living tree in a pot, plant it and enjoy it for years. New generations of affordable and stylish LED holiday lights are safe and use less energy than ever. Or check out the solar powered Glow in Dark ornaments from the National Wildlife Federation’s catalog.

Save Paper: Holiday cards and wrapping paper are two paper-heavy holiday traditions. Green your holiday this year by using cards and wrapping paper made out of recycled materials. Get the kids to make your own wrapping paper or cards. Have some fun and use recycled paper decorated with colorful holiday stamps, stickers or freehand designs for a personal touch.

Holiday Decorating: ShopNWF.org and a portion of the sales goes to wildlife conservation or to plant a tree. That’s a simple way to “green” your tree. Don’t forget about the classics like popcorn, cranberries and ginger bread men to give your tree a nature friendly, homey and nostalgic look.

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