As another year ends, many of us will be celebrating the holidays with family and friends. If part of your holiday tradition includes the exchange of gifts, we encourage you to consider gifting with the environment in mind. Here are five ways to show your appreciation or admiration for family and friends as well as the health of our planet in the coming weeks.
Give a gift for the environment
Does someone on your list already have everything?
A gift to Tree Canada is a meaningful way to help us plan for the years ahead. It takes a lot of work to plant the right tree in the right place, which is why Tree Canada works hard to develop forestry prescriptions – a plan that is written to manage a current or future forest area. This approach helps Tree Canada meet our goals of maintaining long term forest health.
When you donate to Tree Canada in honour of your friends or family, you are giving a gift to the environment – one that will benefit our planet, wildlife and future generations for years to come.
Organize a Celebration Planting
Who doesn’t love an excuse to get together with friends for a good cause? Celebration plantings are a great way to bring your closest friends, neighbours, or family together for a tree planting activity and leave a lasting social and environmental impact in your community.
Reach out to Tree Canada to get more information about planning a celebration planting event in 2023.
Give an outdoor experience
Spending time outside during the winter season can be full of joy, adventure and fresh air – all without needing any gift wrap!
Get familiar with the parks, trails and winter activities happening in your community and plan a day for you and a friend or family member! Whether it’s going snowshoeing, building snowmen or a walk through town with a thermos of hot chocolate in hand, gifting outdoor experiences is often a budget-friendly way to spend time with loved ones, while renewing your appreciation for the outdoors!
Thrifty finds and upcycled goods
If you enjoy the holiday shopping experience, hit up your local thrift stores, or online buy-sell and buy-nothing communities, to gift something that has been gently or barely used and give it a second life! From home décor to clothing, sporting equipment, books, movies or games, there are a lot of great options out there.
Alternatively, if you enjoy getting crafty, why not make a project out of the gift-giving tradition! Upcycle old furniture and picture frames with a fresh coat of paint or personalize clothing and throw blankets by stitching a special message.
Support retailers with green partnerships
As organizations continue to prioritize corporate responsibility and their efforts to be more sustainable, it has become more common for businesses to partner with environmental organizations, like Tree Canada, wherein a charitable donation is made with every purchase, click or download of a specified product.
If your gift recipient has made a holiday wish list, take the time to find retailers that have established partnerships with an environmental organization to support their efforts to give back to green initiatives like tree planting!
Keep the environment in mind this holiday
However you celebrate this season, we encourage you to be mindful of the impact that your gifts and celebrations have on the environment. Where possible, think about where you can reduce, reuse and recycle amid holiday festivities.
Wishing you a very green holiday season!
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