Green Gift Guide: Give the gift of conservation!

Stumped for gift ideas? Why not plant a tree, adopt an acre or support water quality protection right here in the Rideau Valley?

The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation works hard to conserve our local wetlands and forests, support tree planting and promote pristine water quality. You can keep the momentum going when you shop for green gifts for everyone on your nice list this holiday! Complete your Christmas shopping from the comfort of your couch and get a tax receipt, to boot. 

Check out these five green gift ideas:

1. Plant trees! 

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, or print it out to put under the tree! Get started: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/special-occasion-tree-planting 

2. Go carbon neutral! 

If your carbon footprint weighs heavily this time of year, take #GreenChristmas to a whole new level and offset your emissions through the Foundation. We'll help you calculate your footprint and plant local trees across the watershed to absorb it. Not only does this reduce emissions, but also supports local biodiversity, protects water quality and reduces the impacts of extreme weather. Win! Get started: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/carbon-neutral-program

3. Adopt an Acre 

When you adopt an acre in someone's name, you help protect more than 8,200 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. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! Get started: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/adopt-an-acre

4. All Access Pass 

Give the gift of quality time! A $55 annual pass allows the whole family to enjoy the natural beauty of our watershed at our five paid sites (Baxter, Foley Mountain, Perth Wildlife Reserve, Rideau Ferry and WA Taylor 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 to register a digital pass or call us at 613-692-3571 to order a physical dashboard card. TIP: Have the recipient's licence plate handy before you begin.

5. Wonderful water! 

Make a splash for your water-loving loved ones with a gift to the Williams Water Endowment! This fund supports local water quality research and rehabilitation, shoreline naturalization, low-impact development projects and outdoor education programs to protect the foundation of any healthy watershed: clean, pristine water! Learn more: https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/william-water-endowment-fund 

This holiday season, the gift of conservation isn't just for the people on your nice list. It's a gift for our communities, our future and our planet – one that keeps giving for generations to come. Learn more at www.rvcf.ca! 

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