Seasons Greetings to Everyone

Thanks to all our members, supporters, partners and everyone for your interest and involvement in 2007. BGCI wishes you all very happy and prosperous 2008, and if you are celebrating Christmas or the winter solstice, a great holiday. We look forward to working with you to create a healthier, happier planet in 2008.

Seasonal Gift Ideas - Show your love of plants

It's increasingly popular to think at Christmas about reducing your consumerism and supporting good causes instead. And Christmas is a time, in winter darkness, when we celebrate plants in particular. The tree, the holly, the ivy and the frankincense - all are from plants and all have threatened relatives. It's an opportunity to think of how we can give something back.

We've a whole bunch of ideas for you to support plants and botanic gardens this Christmas.

Here's a sample:

• Visit your local botanic garden and ask them about plant conservation. Shop in their shop, volunteer some time if you can or buy yourself or your family a membership card for the whole year.
  
• If you are going to shop on Amazon, do it via our portal. BGCI receives a part of all the cash you spend, but you pay the same.
• Give a living plant as a gift. Choose a native and support your local plant diversity!
• For the kids, try Chelsea Physic Garden's 'Plant Families' pack of cards
• Give a living Christmas tree a home. I do this and its really fun seeing it get a bit bigger every year. Mine is just a little tiny one in a pot and one day I hope I'll be settled enough to plant him out in the garden. For now he comes indoors and gets a festive makeover once a year.
• Have a look at "Petals by Mag" - beautiful flower pictures, framed and posted to you plus 10% goes to BGCI
  
• Bought all your gifts already? Make a donation to BGCI so we can carry on protecting rare species
  
• Make it your new year resolution to join BGCI
• Check out Sara Oldfield's book on the Great Botanic Gardens of the World
• Send an eco-friendly e-card to all your friends, and donate to charity at the same time
  

Christmas Greetings

Increasingly, people use e-cards to send Christmas greetings as a more eco-friendly way to spread good cheer in the winter holidays. Botanic gardens are no exception and at BGCI we've started getting the cards from around the world so I thought I'd share them with you here.