The Holidays: Green ’Em Up

Economic recession be darned, the holidays are here. And that means decorating. And giving gifts. And eating. And eating some more. Right?

But before diving under the mattress for the precious gold coins you’ve hoarded and spending them on 1) trash-destined decorations 2) items your loved one doesn’t need (or necessarily want), think hard about what you’re spending your money on and where that cash is going. The economy needs a boost; why not funnel your pennies into sectors that are more environmentally aware than others? 

In “Sustaining the Holidays,” an Audubon web exclusive, Katherine Tweed offers some green gift ideas for all sorts of personalities on your list. Shawn Query also provides gift suggestions, as well as eco-savvy ideas for decorating, in “Season’s Greenings,” another Audubon web exclusive that appeared last year. Finally, for those seeking a truly unique present, senior editor Alisa Opar recommends just the thing for the person who has everything.

Of course, as Tweed notes, if you want to go REALLY easy on the planet, “Time is precious; the simple gift of spending a bit of it with someone out in nature, for example, embodies the spirit of the season more than anything you can tie a bow around.” I’ll toast to that.