Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Holiday Shopping or Not

Adopt a Creature or an Acre of Rainforest -- You can adopt endangered animals -- and even parcels of rainforest land -- in someone's name. For the greenie who has everything, look past the charismatic megafauna to sting rays, hellbender salamanders, and vampire bats -- because nothing says happy holidays like poisonous stingers, cannibalism, and blood sucking.

Sign up for a CSA -- Buying a Community Supported Agriculture share for your family supports local (and often organic) farms and broadens the selection of fruits and vegetables you normally eat. You sign up, and once a week or bi-weekly pick up a selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables most of the year. You can search for a CSA program in your area at LocalHarvest. www.localharvest.org/csa/

Teach a Skill -- Perhaps your friend or relative would love to learn to cook, knit, or play some killer power chords on the guitar?

Make Plans -- Offer to plan a series of events or outings: buy tickets for a concert, play, sports event, film festival, or lecture series; go on a hike; or take a class.

Give a Membership or Donate to a Cause -- Museum and zoo memberships can be great presents, as can memberships in or donations to an environmental organization. Whether your loved one gets fired up about animals, the environment, human welfare, education, there's a group out there. Not sure which one is the best fit?

Get Crafty -- If you absolutely must give a tangible gift, try coming up with something handmade. It will be more personalized than buying plastic crap from a store, and you might be able to incorporate reused or recycled materials into the project. Possibilities include sewing winter hats or gloves, compiling a photo album, baking holiday goodies, or burning a CD of your last musical performance.

Eco-Friendly Edibles -- If you want to bring alcohol, chocolate, or a food item, try to buy eco-friendly, fair-trade, biodynamic, or organic.

Source: Grist

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