When considering what to give family and friends this holiday season, consider gifts that give back to everyone's favorite family member: Mother Nature. Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified foods and forest products help conserve biodiversity by curbing deforestation and protecting the soil and waterways on which animals depend. They also promote sustainable livelihoods around the globe, including access to potable water, proper housing, health care and education.

Forest-Friendly Music
For those looking to give gifts that rock, Gibson (www.gibson.com ) and Martin Guitar (www.martinguitar.com) create beautiful instruments made with FSC-certified wood. Savvy musicians who care about the environment can strum easily knowing their guitar was made from trees harvested in ways that protect both the land and its people. Also consider CDs with covers printed on Domtar EarthChoice paper like Neil Young's Prairie Wind, Jack Johnson's Sleep through the Static and the Barenaked Ladies' Barenaked Ladies Are Me.

Seasons Greetings from Sustainably Managed Forests
Send your warmest holiday wishes with FSC-certified Faux Wood Holiday Cards from Night Owl Paper Goods (www.nightowlpapergoods.com). If you prefer sending a family newsletter to loved ones, be sure to have it printed on FSC-certified paper, which you can buy online at Staples (www.staples.com - search for "FSC").

Lip-Smacking Holiday Treats
Tasty stocking-stuffers and thank you gifts can help to conserve forests, safeguard wildlife habitat and protect soil and waterways. Coffee roasters including Caribou Coffee (www.cariboucoffee.com), Gloria Jean's Coffees (www.gloriajeans.com ) and Kraft's Yuban brand (www.yuban.com ) all offer Rainforest Alliance Certified blends. For those with a sweet tooth, Plantations Arriba (www.echocolates.com ) sources their cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in Ecuador. If you're bringing a gift to a dinner party, look for wine from WillametteValley Vineyards (www.wvv.com ), sealed with stoppers from FSC-certified cork oak forests.

Gifts to a Worthy Cause
Rather than giving another fancy pen or holiday sweater, consider making a donation to Adopt-A-Rainforest (www.rainforest-alliance.org/aar) to support conservation programs run by the Rainforest Alliance's partner organizations in Latin America. Donors can either donate to a specific conservation project in Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua or they can ask the Rainforest Alliance to choose an organization that is particularly in need of funding. People can give to Adopt-A-Rainforest on behalf of loved ones, for weddings or birthdays, or as part of school fundraising projects.

If You're Heading out of Town
When traveling during the holidays, choose a sustainable hotel or tour operator. Support tourism businesses that are working with the Rainforest Alliance to mitigate their effects on the land and local people and provide staff with proper wages, health care and more. Visit the Eco-Index of Sustainable Tourism (www.eco-index.org/tourism) to search for businesses that are making a difference.

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

Contact Info: Abby Ray,
646-452-1939,
aray@ra.org

Website : Rainforest Alliance