A Wildlife Conservation Christmas

Fun Ways to Include Wild Animals in Your Holiday Celebration

Nov 5, 2007

The celebration doesn't have to stop when the holidays are over. Some wildlife friendly ideas to help the environment and keep Christmas all year long.

The run up to the holidays can be very stressful. Including conservation in your planning can make gift giving, and the Christmas celebration itself, more enjoyable and meaningful. A wildlife conservation Christmas includes gifts that will help wildlife and their habitat long after the holidays are over.

This has become a very popular Christmas gift. A donation in the form of an adoption is made in the name of the recipient. The money from the Adopt a Wild Animal Christmas gift goes to caring for the animals. Pictures, a case history and periodic updates on the wildlife adopted are usually included in the gift package. Imagine being able to follow an animal during its rehabilitation, or after it is released back to the wild.

In addition to the big national and international organizations that have adoption plans, local wildlife facilities often have similar programs for native wildlife. Sanctuaries for non-releasable wildlife need help with long-term care of animals affected by humans. And researchers get valuable funding to track animals for their studies this way. Any of these choices make for a Christmas gift that makes both the giver and recipient feel good.

Can’t decide which animal to adopt this Christmas? How about buying an acre of land in Costa Rica to help protect rainforest biodiversity? Many species, including humans, will be helped through programs like The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre. And the recipient will receive information about the land that’s been protected. If protecting land closer to home is important, check with local conservation groups to see what opportunities exist.

See Wildlife Conservation Programs for a listing of international wildlife adoption and land purchase options or check with local organizations for their Adopt an Acre Christmas gift programs.

Whether a gift or a well-earned personal reward for surviving the Christmas holidays, volunteering on an ecotourism project means traveling to interesting places, getting to know the locals and helping the environment. Many research projects welcome the assistance with their work. Rehabilitation centers throughout the world can use helping caring for animals until they are returned to the wild, while wildlife sanctuaries welcome help in providing topnotch care for their charges.

Other ways to enhance the Christmas holidays for wildlife

Once the holidays are over these trees will go back to their important role of cleaning the air, providing habitat for wildlife and enhancing the view.

Leave an area alone to let native plants take over. That makes one less chore before the Christmas holidays and a safe transit zone for wildlife. Supplement it with food over the hard winter months. Check with local wildlife rehabilitators or conservation organizations for recommendations on what to provide, and, more importantly, what not to. The reward will be glimpses of local wildlife as they travel through the area throughout the year.

The copyright of the article A Wildlife Conservation Christmas in Wildlife Conservation is owned by Dawn M. Smith. Permission to republish A Wildlife Conservation Christmas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.