Peggy Trendell-Whittaker ECO INFO TO CUT aor not to cut, that is. the question for many environmentalists at this time of the year. For many people, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the smell of (dying) fir wafting gently through the house, complementing the sounds of carollers and the taste of eggnog. That’s not surprising, consider- ing the Christmas tree’s long his- tory. ~~ Even before they had heard anything about a new messiah, people in northern Europe were bringing green boughs into their home on the Dec. 21 winter solstice to celebrate the fact that ‘the days would now start getting longer. . *Some people, however, have ** managed to sacrifice tradition and afe purchasing artificial trees. in an effort to cut down on cut-downs. " UE you., bu don’t Have saywhors: to pins: : eé,, North Vancouver ‘District the recycling, program have a park all® picked” out’ for you., Call 987-5922: ‘for. details.) Tot Sonié-are “decorating their. jarger house'plants:in‘lieu of a tree, or vare- decorating | can. bvergreen in their yard. * “But for. ‘those. ‘people ‘who are determined: that™ nothing will part them from their traditional family Christmas ‘tree, purchased with much ° family ° debate at the. boy scouts’. lot and painstakingly loaded “onto - the car, brought home and festooned with Sally and Sammy’ S Ornaments they made ’way back in kindergarten, here’s an idea; Why not introduce another * tradition to your family, one that will help share Christmas with the whole world? On the day that you bring home your own Christmas tree, your family'can make a donaticn that will keep other trees alive. ‘Twenty-five dollars: will help protect an acre Of tropical rain- forest, or.it wiil plant 100 trees in drought-stricken areas of Africa. Everyone in the family can con- tribute to the’ project as best as one can, or you can. help pay for _it.by buying a smaller Christmas . tree for yourselves this year. You. can make the donation in your family name, or as a gift for - someone, who will receive a certif- icate of recognition. Friday, December 11, 1992 ~ Noxth Shore News - 31 Put protecting trees on top of Xmas list If you ask your kids to donate to the project, you might want to reward tHem with a irip to the Omnimax Theatre at Science World. \v’s currently showing Tropical Rainforest, for which Imax photographers shot almost 20 miles of film to bring the eco- system alive for those of us from other climes. People of all ages can’t help but be impressed by the close-up im- ages of a blue-winged butterfly Piercing and breaking through its pupa case, armies of ants hoisting leaf sections and marching in formation, and spiders spanning vast distances with the aid of their silken threads. Researchers studying one hec- tare of tropical forest found 41,000 tree canopy insects. These forests contain over half the world’s species, although they comprise only 7% of the Earth’s land surface. It’s these species that the World ‘Wildlife Fund (WWF) is aiming to protect through its $25-per-acre donation program. The fund has already managed to make a big difference. has purchased 20,000 acres of forest to add to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica, planted 325,000 trees in a co-sponsored reforesta- tion project in the same area, es- tablished the world’s first jaguar Teserve {with support from the Jaguar car company), introduced sustainable farming techniques to Latin American farmers, and ad- ministered more than 300 other WWF tropical forest projects. New on the agenda this year are _pians to help save the wintering ‘grounds of the Monarch butterfly and to crack down on the ram- pant illegal trade in wildlife species (such as parrots, macaws, lizards and caimans) out of South America. -It’s not just “other’? species we have to worry about. Loss of the ‘rainforest affects human beings, -whether it’s through increased global warming, the loss of vital pharmaceutical. plants, or the displacement of Amazonian tribespeople, , © Nincty different tribes are. thought to have died out in this century, as a result of encroach- ment on their rainforest home. The $3 miilion that, Canadians have donated since 1986 have dene much good, but with 80 acres of forest disappearing every minute, there is much left to be done. People who donate $25 will receive a certificate for one acre of rainforest and a decal depicting the Red-Eyed Tree Frog, this year’s mascot. People who donate four or more acres will also be sent a full-color, 16-month WWF cal- endar for 1993/94. Call 1-800-26-PANDA to add your name to the list of rainforest supporters. As I mentioned above, $25 could also ensure the planting of 100 trees in Africa. GIFTS UNDER $15 *& Stationery Sets % Journals # Cedar & Maple Pens / Pencils Pressed Flower Card Kits *& Gift-packaged Seeds % Handmade Paper Sets w& Caiendars / Appointment Books * Earrings / Pins made from used paper OPEN 10:30-6, Sun. 1-5 9 tonsdale (close to Quay) 988-3932 “Plant a Tree in Africa’ is a campaign organized by Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, which works to remedy the causes of health and environmental emergencies (deforestation being a major one). The planted trees, all of which are indigenous and drought-resis- tant, help add water and nutrients to the soil. They protect crops from sun and wind, add moisture to the air, and cling onto the soil in the face of the creeping desert. In the past four years, most of the trees have been planted in Ethiopia. In 1950, 40% of that country was forested; today, the tree- cover has dwindled to 4%. Whether you plant trees in the name of a friend, or if you’re just giving it as a gift to yourself, the 46 Twenty-five dollars will help protect an acre of tropical rainforest ...99 gift recipient will receive a beautiful color wall poster with his or her name and the number of trees that Peron helped to plant inscribed on it. At 25 cents per tree, it’s a great gift to give or receive. Cal! 1-800-263-2727 for more information, or to order your gift. As with the rainforest program, the amount given is fully tax- deductible. A reader just caiied as I was writing this to say how pleased she was to receive a similar gift, and she plans to be sponsoring various animals in protection prograins for her friends this year. We’re fortunate to still have the luxury of cut trees in our home at Christmastime. Perhaps the gift of trees to less-fortunate areas of the world will add even more to the enjoy- ment of our own. Now that Santa has taken his seat on our North and South Malls, it’s time for the kids to take theirs. On Santa’s lap, that is - any day through December 24th. - Santa’s hours are 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Monday-Friday); 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Saturday); and 12:00 noon - 4:00 p.m. (Sunday). By then, there shouldn’t be a single kid on the ’ North Shore left standing. LATE NIGHT SHOPPING HOURS: 10:00am - 9:00pm Monday - Friday 9:30am ~ 5:30pm Saturday EXCEPT SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19TH 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday 9:30am - 9:00pm Free Santa Photos- 6:00pm to 9:00pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday only until December 9th.