Of course, we at Emeraldology would like you to shop right here for some of your holiday needs. Do you need the ultimate animal trivia game for naturalists and board game buffs of all ages?  Or would you like a vegan leather journal for your diary or magnum opus, a book begging to break free like Michelangelo’s Prisoners? Or maybe for the low-budget among you, some all-natural, all-new, Emeraldology-branded lip balm to prevent the lips of family and friends from chapping on the snow-capped slopes? Or for the ultra-practical among you, some unromantic but constantly-needed laundry staples to save your grown kids from carrying their laundry home for the holidays (like my adult kids, join the club)?

Photo by Monika Stawowy on Unsplash

But one possibility is that you or your loved ones feel they have everything, and you’d rather that your holiday presents also “give back”. Well, we like the gifts from the World Wildlife Fund’s catalog, which are really pretty dynamo.

World Wildlife Fund’s Mission

A reminder on the World Wildlife Fund: Their mission is to “conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.” Hard to argue with that. Programs focus on healthy and sustainably harvested food, threats to the climate, fresh water, endangered species including the panda (famous symbol of the organization), and forests and oceans. Well, that’s the part you can feel good about when dishing out $60 (usually, a donation with a gift attached to it), or when dishing out more for the smallish items in their catalog.

Wildlife Nesting Dolls from WWF. Photo courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund.

WWF Holiday Presents

You can adopt your favorite animal for $60 (or more), and it come with a plush 10” stuffed toy. Some are not in stock, but why not go for the okapi, which is in stock? Since you asked (nature trivia fans): It’s a cool-looking cousin of the giraffe that has stripes like a zebra and is only found in the forests of the Congo. Or you can skip the plush toy and just go for a beautiful “species card,” or other lighter bling such as reusable gift bags to save on shipping. You could get a resplendent monarch butterfly puzzle (1,000 pieces for the die-hards) for $60 (but we like our game better). Or you could get colorful socks or slippers with a host of animals on them. Or you could consider a colorful turtle beach towel. Or for heaven’s sake, just look at all the gifts, and for people who put gifts in stockings, look at the stockings to stuff them in. This may be the only gift brochure I know of that you can view, not by product size or color but by level of threat of extinction of the depicted animal.

Red panda plush that comes courtesy with a red panda adoption kit. Photo courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund.

I am a sucker for this stuff, and for the WWF charity itself. For a puzzle-crazed friend and an upcoming birthday, I went for the monarch butterfly puzzle.  For the Imelda Marcos of socks (my wife), I went for the socks with African species on them, mostly made of organic cotton. WWF has holiday presents for every age and every budget.

The Bottom Line

For those of you who itemize, a large percentage of your donation should be tax deductible, but you don’t get tax advice just for buying environmentally-friendly laundry strips. Why not contribute to the environment’s health and biodiversity rather than packaging another ten things from Amazon.com? The WWF needs the money more than Jeff Bezos. Or maybe you don’t want or need any bling with your holiday presents at all? Just donate to WWF while sending an e-card.

Follow @emeraldology for shopping discounts and lighthearted content about eco-friendly actions.