Every year at Christmas, the earth gives to us.

The forests provide us with trees, wreaths, and holly, and those same forests, along with the very crust of the earth we walk on, give us the raw materials for the goods we give to each other as gifts.   Its animals and plants give us the great feasts we enjoy through the season.  And as we celebrate with our loved ones with decorations, gifts, and food, we can also find ways to give a little back to the earth that has given so much to us.   The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Here are a few to help you get started.

Decorations:

• Recycle old Christmas trees by turning them into compost or mulch that can nurture and protect gardens and lawns. On January 14th, the City of Regina will pick up Christmas trees and turn them to mulch. More information can be found here: Regina-Tinsel-Mulch
• Check local nurseries and tree farms to see if they have any trees with roots. Once the ground thaws, they can be planted in your yard. A complete how-to guide to buying a living tree can be found here: Choose-a-Living-Christmas-Tree
• Use LED Christmas lights for indoor and outdoor lighting. Not only do they use about 10% of the electricity of incandescent bulbs, they last longer and are safer to use.
• Make your own decorations by recycling old material. For instance, you can cut pictures from Christmas cards and wrapping paper and decoupage them onto plates, bowls, and candle holders, or glue them onto tin can lids for an old-fashioned homemade ornament. Old Christmas cards can be turned into gift boxes. Some homemade craft ideas can be found here, including a Christmas tree made out of tomato cages and garland: Christmas-Decorations
• Give new life to decorations that might have ended up in a landfill by searching garage sales, flea markets, and thrift shops. You might just find something beautiful and unique.

Gifts:

• Instead of buying an item, give the gift of time. Give a night out with gift certificates to the theatre or the RSO, a gift certificate to a restaurant, or a homemade coupon offering babysitting service; give a day off with offers to do yard work or a make a home-cooked meal.
• Buy locally made gifts. Traditions Hand Craft Gallery and Handcrafted in Saskatchewan (located in the Northgate Mall) offer a variety of quality items made by local artisans.
• Try to minimize gifts made from plastics, most of which are not biodegradable. PVC, in particular, contains several different toxins. Opt for recyclable and/or biodegradable materials instead, such as wood.
• Use recycled wrapping paper, or reuse items around the home such as old newspaper and tissue paper to wrap gifts. You can also use bags and baskets, which can be reused again next year.

Food:

• Buy local at when and if you can. Several Saskatchewan farms offer free range, organic meats; these include Pine View Farms, Daleview Farm, Triple H Beef, and Lane Family Farm. Pine View Farms, located near Saskatoon, offers turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas; these can be ordered online or over the phone. Several Regina stores, including Nature’s Best Market, Eat Healthy Foods, and Body Fuel Organics, offer organic and when available, locally raised meats and locally grown produce.
• Compost leftover fruits and vegetables.
• Buy certified fair trade coffee, tea, and chocolate, which are grown using environmentally sustainable methods, in addition to providing producers with a fair price and greater independence.

Check out these sites for dozens of other ideas, and have a safe, happy and green holiday!

Green-Living-Holidays

Article submitted by Jennifer Bobowski

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 3:32 am and is filed under What's Happening?.