Add Canada's Wildlife to Your List of Favourite Things This Holiday Season

Attn: Holiday Gift Guide & Lifestyle Editors

Polar bears and caribou, Canada's iconic wildlife, the melting of ice caps puts their habitat in strife, meerkats and blue sharks, oh the monarch's great wings, these are a few of my favourite things.

There are countless gift options available every holiday season, but few are as meaningful, or as memorable, as helping to protect Canada's wildlife and wild places. This year, adopt an animal through WWF-Canada for a gift that will be remembered long after the holidays are over.

The WWF-Canada Adoption Program offers the chance to symbolically adopt a threatened species and support critical work to protect nature at the same time. More Canadian animals are available for adoption than ever before, including the caribou, polar bear, grizzly bear, Arctic fox, monarch butterfly, Atlantic cod, northern leopard frog, common loon, meerkat, blue shark and the black-footed ferret. Alternatively, you can select from popular international species such as the emperor penguin, Asian elephant, giant panda, orangutan, tiger and snow leopard.

Each adoption package costs $40 and contains a 12.5 cm stuffed animal of your choice, a personalized adoption certificate, a letter identifying you as the gift giver, a brochure about the species you are protecting and the work you will be supporting, as well as a $30 tax receipt - all wrapped up in a great reusable WWF-Canada tote bag. Gift givers looking to make a greater contribution to wildlife can also adopt a family of polar bears, orangutans, Arctic fox or pandas.

WWF-Canada also carries a variety of other environmentally-friendly gift options including Gifts for a Living Planet. With no packaging or mailing, these hassle-free gifts directly fund WWF's critical conservation work in Canada and abroad. For $100 you can "Help a Polar Bear Keep Cool" by supporting WWF-Canada's work to monitor and protect Canada's majestic polar bear from the effects of climate change and ensure they are around for future generations to enjoy. Other popular gifts include WWF's Hotter than I should be-t-shirt, a soft and cuddly panda baby blanket, organic cotton yoga wear, and much more.

By purchasing a holiday gift through WWF-Canada you are helping to save wildlife, protect vital habitat and improve the health of our planet. To make a purchase, please call 1-800-26-PANDA or visit wwf.ca. All deliveries are guaranteed in time for the holidays if ordered by December 14th.

WWF-Canada works to save nature by conserving species and protecting their habitats; by ensuring our use of natural resources is sustainable, and by helping individuals, companies and governments reduce their ecological footprint. For more information, visit wwf.ca.

abrasfield@wwfcanada.org