HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

This year, instead of buying another sweater that will never be worn or racking your brain for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list, consider an alternative gift. Below are links to sites and programs that help to protect the environment, develop cleaner, renewable energy and aid animals and people in need. Buy items or donate in the name of the person you are giving to. Some projects provide certificates or "thank you" tokens honoring the donation or you can make your own. If you do not wish to receive the token, let the group know when you donate and save them the costs of that item and it's shipping to further support their efforts.

ADOPT A PLATOON This group, started by the mother of a serviceman, is providing Holiday care packages for the servicemen and women who are answering the call to duty overseas. Remember that these courageous people risk their lives for tiny salaries, not to support any particular war or effort, but to serve their country without question. The group also sponsors year round pen-pal, care package and other support programs. You can adopt a particular person and send letters and goodies directly or donate so that volunteers can buy goodies and send them for you. This group does not publish individuals names and does not link single people with married soldiers as pen-pals...it is not a dating service. Home of the free...because of the brave.

WILDLIFE ADOPTION CENTER This group allows you to sponsor a wolf, polar bear or other endangered animal. Wolves, from which all domestic dogs were bred, have been hunted to near extinction and are keystone species that help balance the ecosystems they live in. Polar bears are drowning for lack of ice floats due to the metling of ice features from global warming. For some animals you will receive a plush toy that you can then give to someone on your list!

FREEDOM'S ON ME This is an actual gift site. The young artist here put on hold a very successful career to join the military. He is honoring service men and women who have fallen in battle by memorializing them on posters themed nostagically like those made during WWII. They are inexpensive and absolutely beautiful. You can also nominate your own soldier, sailor, airman or marine for future works. A portion of the proceeds is donated to a charity chosen by that fallen soldier's family in memory of the hero. It's a perfect gift for a active duty or retired serviceperson or anyone who loves their freedom!

SEARCHDOG Rosie's pick of the litter! This foundation takes dogs that have been rescued from shelters and breed rescues and gives then the training needed to become Fire Department Rescue Dogs! The dogs are trained to locate victims of disasters and accidents more quickly than human rescue workers can. The program provides training for the dogs and for their handlers at no cost to the rescue department itself. Upon retirement the search dogs are provided with loving homes for the rest of their lives. What a wonderful way to help a dog, help a rescue worker and help countless victims of disaster! There are many options available from gifts of any denomination, workplace gifts, specific program donations and life estate gifts. You can also volunteer to become a caregiver or handler. Check out the site today! Great for the firefighter on your list, those that have experienced disaster or any dog lover or trainer! Contributed by Spotz

MORRIS ANIMAL FOUNDATION This foundation studies animal health problems and researches and develops new treatments. They also sponsor other scientists that are working to improve healthcare and fight disease in animals. You can buy holiday cards, make a general donation or sponsor a study for a particular disease.They provide a ceretificate in the name of the honoree. This is a great way to give to a friend who has animal afflicted with an illness for which research for new treatment is needed. You can also make a donation in your vet's name.

ASPCA As we all know, one of the best sources for rescue, education and support of all animals, especially our domestic companions.

BREED RESCUE Always a perfect gift to aid in the rescue of a particularly-loved breed of dog. Have person on your list that just LOVES his Great Dane and can't figure out what gift to give? Start with AKC link here or enter the name of the dog breed, "rescue" and the state where your recipient lives into "Google" and go, dog, go! Example: "great dane rescue, California."

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL This is a very unusual program that gives so much to under-priveleged people worldwide. Give a man a fish and he eats for one day, teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life. This is essentially the philosophy of Heifer.You can buy an entire animal or a share of an animal such as sheep, llamas, chickens, goats, cows, water buffaloes and bees. They also have a tree planting program. Your gift goes directly to countries and people that are appropriate and have the need. They also supply training to raise and maintain the animals. Some animals are used to breed herds and flocks for meat and some are used for their milk, eggs or fur collection such as sheep and llamas. Bees provide honey and trees provide fruit and hold soil in place to prevent erosion. Shares are as little as $10, animals and flocks of birds as little as $20. A sheep is $120 or you can give groups of mixed animals for $500 to $1500.

ALGALITA MARINE RESEARCH This group researches all things that affect the ocean, plastic pollution, watershed effects, kelp reforestation and many other issues. They provide education to the general public and school children and sponsor clean-up and restoration projects. You can buy videos and other educationl materials, volunteer and support their activities by sponsorship and membership. Consider buying a video as a "teacher" gift from your child. It not only funds environmental restoration and preservation, but give the teacher a great tool to teach next semester's classes!

MICHOACAN REFORESTATION FUND The North American Monarch butterfly migrates each year to winter in the Michoacan Forest in Mexico. Sadly, the forest has been destroyed and the butterflies find less and less sustinance and winter habitat each year. This fund provides trees to help restore the forest, training, education and maintenance. Butterflies assist in the pollination of naturally occuring plants as well as farmed food crops through out North America. Without preservation of their winter home they face the possibility of extripation or even extinction. A donation is a perfect gift to any gardener or butterfly lover!

CALIFORNIA WOLF CENTER This beautiful little preserve, located in the historic town of Julian, California, is home to an ambassador pack of grey wolves and currently 4 female Mexican wolves. The Mexican wolves are part of a Species Survival Breeding Program designed to save the wolves from extinction. Currently only a little over 200 exist in captivity and only about 20 in the wild. The center studies the wolves and uses them as a model for ecosystem education. Their schoolastic educational program teaches grades K-College and public group and private tours are offered weekly. You can buy wolf and other wildlife books online or a membership starting as low as $25. Memberships and sponsorships come with gifts such as books, t-shirts, caps, videos and entrance to facility tours. Dog lovers: Remember that all domestic dogs were bred from wild wolves. Research and study of wolf behavior benefits the health and survival of the wolves, knowledge of how our ecosytems work and greater understanding of the health and behavior of domestic dogs.

ENERGY:

The development of clean, renwable energy is a resource that we all need to address and support. Fossil fuel manufacture is subsidized by the government even though those companies are making HUGE yearly profits. Alternative energy is not subsidized by the government. The time is coming that petroleum resources will be depleted and we cannot ignore the damage their refining and use is doing to our planet. We need to develop new sources and technology that will slowly replace or augment our current fuel sources. Also, regardless of your political affiliation, consider seeing or giving as a gift, the movie An Inconvenient Truth hosted by Al Gore. It is an incredibly well researched, realistic look at the effects of our energy consumption on our planet. Don't forget to see the extra updates added after the film was completed. Here are some funds and projects that support clean air and water, renewable energy and other environmental concerns.

NATIVE ENERGY This project allows you to buy shares in the construction of energy-producing wind powered equipment and sites on Native American lands. It helps to fund one of the most efficient and cleanest source of electricity available to us, makes environmentally sound use of reservation lands and helps native peoples to gain some income resource while ginving back to the environment and to the rest of the country (in a wholesome way, without neon lights, alcohol and gambling).

NEW AMERICAN DREAM This group educates people on how to buy and live with less waste, supports legislation and private programs to urge new energy research and manufacture of more efficient vehicles. It also provides a resource to help you cut out junk mail delivery, among many other issues. Even if you don't donate, visit the website to learn what you can do in your daily life to help, or sign up to support specific programs with your voice by keeping up on issues, signing petitions and sending letters.

TREES, WATER, PEOPLE These folks support reforestation, clean air and water, efficient sustainablity in America and other countries and new technology toward those ends. They sponsor a tree planting gift program, enovironmental education and general ecosystem health. See the site for information on what's happening even if you don't donate.

CENTER FOR ECOSYSTEM SURVIVAL This San Francisco-based group has beautiful educational videos and slide sets available for personal use or to give to your child's teacher to use in the classroom. You can also sponsor and acre of rainforest or tropical reef and get your recipient a certificate "deed" to that acre. They also have deed packages that come with a gift of chocolates! Yum!

GREEN EMPOWERMENT Green Empowerment promotes community-based renewable energy, potable water delivery and related watershed restoration internationally to generate social and environmental progress. Many of their programs involve providing electricity and other energy by solar and other clean, renewable technologies.

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COMING LATER: DOGS GOING GREEN!