'Twas the week before Christmas
Quarantined in your house
When you finished your shopping
With the click of a mouse!
You knew that your gifts
Would put smiles on faces
Cuz the gifts that you bought
Protect local green spaces.
From cute little seedlings
Planted not far from here
To a park pass for hiking
And boating all year
You chose these green presents
With love and with care
In hopes that our forests
Will always be there.
;)
Ok, cheesy poems aside, it's the perfect year to embrace a #ConservationChristmas for all those nature-lovers on your list! No one wants to visit a busy mall right now, anyway. And conservation matters in Ontario more than ever.
Whether you're adopting an acre in someone's name, planting local seedlings or helping your family go carbon neutral, a conservation Christmas gift is meaningful, local, long-lasting and eco-friendly.
Check out these five green gift ideas to protect our local environment, all without leaving your house:
1. Tree planting: Put some trees under the Christmas tree! Our Foundation offers two ways to plant trees for your friends and family: memorial trees and special occasion trees. In both programs, we plant native locally-grown seedlings across the watershed and care for them until they take their place in a vibrant new forest of the future. You can send a personalized e-card to the recipient just in time for the holidays! More here: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/special-occasion-tree-planting
2. All Access Pass: If we've learned anything in 2020, it's that getting outside matters. A $50 annual pass allows the whole family to enjoy the natural beauty of our watershed at 11 conservation areas. This pass covers parking and boat launch fees all year long, including at our three public beaches! Visit www.paybyphone.com and use code 5222.
3. Go carbon neutral: Make like LIVE 88.5 and go carbon neutral! Our Foundation can help you calculate your family's carbon footprint for the year and translate it into trees to be planted across the watershed. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and capture it in their wood cells as part of their life cycle. Make it a truly green Christmas this year! More here: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/carbon-neutral-program
4. Adopt an Acre: When you adopt an acre in someone's name, you help protect more than 6,578 acres of wetlands, forests and shorelines right here in the Rideau Valley. These crucial habitats are hard at work reducing our risk of floods, cleaning our water, stopping erosion and storing vast amounts of carbon to keep our communities healthy and resilient in the face of climate change. More here: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/adopt-an-acre
5. Memorial bench or picnic table: The holidays can be difficult when you're missing someone. If this is you, consider skipping family gifts and going in on a public bench or picnic table in memory of your nature-loving loved one. Comforting to the family, and a comfortable resting spot for everyone else. More here: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/memorial-benches