Give a Valentine's gift that doesn't cost the earth -but saves it

Give a Valentine's gift that doesn't cost the earth -but saves it

What could be more romantic than receiving a single red rose on Valentine's Day? Receiving a whole bunch of red roses? Perhaps, until you look at the price tag for the Earth.

Each year we spend a staggering £22 million on Valentine's flowers: A single rose with gift decorations is likely to cost around £20 while a bunch of roses will knock you back something closer to £70. "So what", you might say. "It's only once a year, surely a gesture of love can never cost too much?"

Well, sometimes it can cost far, far more than you think. Most of those glowing roses in their cellophane wrappers will have travelled a long way -from places like Zimbabwe, Israel, Colombia and Kenya. Transporting these flowers contributes substantially to global warming from aircraft emissions.

What can you give you Valentine instead? In contrast to flowers or chocolate, which both give brief moments of pleasure, there is something you can give that is literally priceless and lasts forever: An acre of tropical rainforest.

For the environmentally conscious, this really is the only Valentine's gift worth considering. An acre of rainforest saved on behalf of your sweetheart costs just £25 and after the World Land Trust has purchased it on your behalf it will be protected forever by the Trust's local partners.

This is the Valentine's Day present that just goes on and on giving pleasure. And not just to you and your beloved: Your acre will be part of a luxuriant tropical rain forest where giant trees, thickly hung with wild orchids, shelter rare species of animals and birds. The tropical rainforests are the most diverse areas on Earth and the multitude of animals and plants living there rely on the trees for their survival. Not only are you saving a piece of unique wildlife habitat from destruction, you are supporting the crucial role played by rain forests in preserving the world's carbon balance. What's more, you and your loved one can even visit the forest you have helped save.

Buy an acre of rainforest as a unique, green Valentine's gift and you will receive a Valentine's card, a personalised gift certificate and a copy of the World Land Trust's newsletter twice a year. You will be giving a love token that will last forever and help save one of the most beautiful habitats on the planet.



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