WWF (no, not wrestling...)

I have a cousin who is one of those kids that has every toy any kid ever thought they wanted, even if they only wanted it for a fleeting second. I'm not kidding when I tell you she has toys in her closet from last Christmas that have yet to be opened, used or played with. It boggles my mind the sheer quantity of crap (sorry but there isn't a better word, only worse...) that she has. And like any kid that has been flooded with stuff her entire life, there is little or no appreciation of the majority of the items once they've been unwrapped. It's simply on to the next one. This has posed a problem for me and anyone else that balks at the idea of contributing to one kid's ability to cram to the brim her own personal landfill. Obviously we want to still be able to share gifts with her but without compounding the issue...

I finally found a solution for her birthday this year that makes me happy, and wanted to share it on here in case anyone else likes the idea. This year, I "adopted" a snow leopard in her name through World Wildlife Fund (WWF). My cousin loves animals, and this enabled me to get her a gift that would also actually do some good. For a donation made to WWF, you can symbolically adopt a critter of your choosing. I chose a leopard because she used to have a pet cat and I knew it was something she would like. There is a quite a number of options though and I'm confident you could find an animal for anyone, child or adult. On WWF's site, there is a way to search for animals alphabetically, by popularity, threat level, or region. Donation amounts range from $25 and up. When you adopt an animal, you receive an adoption certificate, a photo and a species fact card about the animal. If the donation is greater than $25, a stuffed animal representing the one you just adopted is also included. The money that WWF receives goes towards various projects such as habitat protection and restoration, environmental education programs, protection of endangered animals, lobbying against poaching, etc.

My cousin adored the idea that somewhere out in the world there was a snow leopard that was "hers". We framed the adoption certificate and people give her mildly funny looks when she tells them about her pet. I was equally happy to have the chance to talk to her about how amazing these cats are and how tragic it will be if they become extinct. Together, we spent tons of time on WWF's website, looking at all the different animals and the challenges they face to remain on our planet.

Next time you are scrambling for a gift idea, perhaps it's an opportunity to get someone their very own personal panda, or rhino, or 3 toed sloth, or kangaroo (I think you get the idea)...

WWF's Website: http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html