Gifts you can feel good about

Not every holiday gift need come from a store. Throughout our river region, organizations abound whose mission and purpose is to protect our natural resources. Consider bestowing an enviro-gift upon your beloved family and friends this holiday season.

Purchase a membership to a local environmental organization, such as Lacawac Sanctuary ( 570/689-9494, www.lacawac.org ), a 500-acre land preserve where education, research and preservation are combined. Your recipient can enjoy special environmental programming, receive a quarterly newsletter, hike the sanctuary’s trails or visit its pristine glacial lake.

Giving a membership to the Delaware Highlands Conservancy ( 570/226-3164, www.delawarehighlands.org ), which helps to support important land preservation efforts in Pennsylvania and New York. Members receive informative newsletters and the opportunity to participate in nature-based programs, including the compassionate work of the Butterfly Barn and the festive riverside Meadow Party celebrating area conservation efforts.

Memberships in the Pocono Environmental Education Center ( 570/828-2319, www.peec.org ), Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary ( 570/253-1185, www.dorflinger.org ), and local chapters of Audubon ( www.audubon.org ) and the Sierra Club ( www.sierraclub.org ) are other great options.

Don’t forget subscriptions to publications that educate readers about the entwinement of environmental, social and cultural factors. For starters, The River Reporter ( 845/252-7414, www.riverreporter.com ) is one of the strongest regional publishing voices addressing these issues. And one of my all-time favorite magazines, Orion ( www.oriononline.org ) is certain to enlighten and to provoke thought while providing beautiful art and images.

In addition, make the season a bit merrier for your favorite environmental organization by adding it to your gift list. There is never adequate funding available to support the good work that such organizations continually strive to accomplish, so crack open your check book and send something along.

Finally, your enviro-gift doesn’t have to be financial. Go for a long walk with a sturdy bag in tow and gather up whatever garbage you encounter. While you’re out there, take time to look up into the changing sky, to listen to the winds and their whisperings, to feel the pinch of cold upon your fingers, toes and nose, and to fill your lungs with the crisp fresh air that blesses us here. All of it is nature’s gift to you.