Make this an eco-friendly Valentine’s Day! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you might be thinking about spoiling your beloved. After all we’ve all been through quite a bit recently, what with everyone living so closely under one roof. So, even if you’re not usually a Valentine’s kinda person, maybe this year will be an exception to the rule. You can treat your loved one and the planet with these five eco-friendly Valentine’s Day gifts.
Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Gift Ideas
1. Gift A Tree
Eco-friendly Valentine’s gifts don’t get much better than this. Plant a tree with The Future Forest Company. So, I maybe bias (as I actually work at The Future Forest Company) but they’re an amazing reforestation organisation buying up degraded land across the UK and planting trees. The Future Forest Company are focused on removing carbon from the atmosphere using a combination of reforestation and pioneering climate solution technologies. They’re native UK forests provide a home for wildlife and endangered species, like the White-Tailed Sea Eagles in Scotland. When you choose to gift a tree (or two) you’ll get an e-certificate to send to your beloved. What better way to show your love than to gift a tree and fight climate change together?
Shop: Gift A Tree at The Future Forest Company
2. Adopt An Animal
Born Free work around the world to protect some incredible species. You can adopt an animal with Born Free for just £3 per month or for a one off payment of £36. Your gift will be helping to provide care and protection for beautiful animals. Supporting a wild animal through adoption is a great way to help fund Born Free’s work. So, whether your loved one is obsessed with whales or elephants, they’re bound to love the idea of adopting their very own.
Shop: Adopt an Animal with Born Free
3. Gift Clean Water For Climate Vulnerable Communities
This Valentine’s Day, you can help bring clean water to climate-vulnerable communities around the world. Water Aid aim to reach as many people as possible who are on the frontline of climate change, providing them with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. So if you’re happily single or just don’t usually go in for the whole Valentine’s-Day-over-consumerism-thingy, you can use your money to treat someone who needs it most.
Shop: Gift Clean Water
4. Give A Girl An Education
Oxfam offer a range of charity gift cards, that help to get more children into school. A decent education can change everything that many of the world’s poorest children miss out on. Sadly, this is even more likely if you’re a girl. For the price of a cheap bottle of wine and shop bought flowers, you can buy a gift card and help to reset the balance. We all know what amazing things girls can achieve given the right start in life, let’s help to make that happen!
Shop: Education for girls gift card
5. Save Britain’s Bees
Rather upsettingly, our changing climate and dwindling nature means that Britain’s bees and other pollinators are in trouble. 13 bee species have become extinct in the UK since 1900 and a further 35 are on the threatened species list. This is due to the changes in seasonal weather, which is causing problems for bees in finding food and places to nest.
Bees pollinate 75% of our main food crops worldwide, including some of our favourite produce like apples, strawberries and tomatoes.
Bees and other pollinators play a crucial role in the future of our economy, wellbeing, and the fight against climate and nature breakdown. You can gift a Bee Saver Kit for Valentine’s Day and receive seeds to plant, a garden planner and a simple step-by-step guide to help save the bees.
Shop: Bee Saver Kit
However you spend your Valentine’s Day this year, I hope that it is filled with love, light and laughter.
Christine
Photography by Annie Spratt
