Greetings to my fellow Master Naturalists,

Holiday Greetings to my fellow Texas Master Naturalists,

As we find ourselves in the whirlwind of the Holiday season, I hope that we have time to remember the natural world.

As our family became increasingly hard to buy for, we instituted a change several years ago. Each family member contributes, whatever they would have spent on gifts, to a charity of their choice. When the traditional time comes to "open gifts", we tell each other about the charities we supported.

I have used this to support programs through the Nature Conservancy, especially those where matching funds are available. I feel satisfied that our "gift-giving" is beneficial to our ecosystem in the following ways:

• We don't burn fossil fuels driving to the stores
• We don't contribute to the land fill to get rid of wrapping paper and packaging
• Our gifts will be used to protect or enhance nature
• We can educate others about the good programs of our favorite charities (my family members now also support the Nature Conservancy)
• I can spend my available time enjoying the trails at the parks or bird watching

I hope that you have an enjoyable Holiday Season and look forward to our chapter doing great things in 2003.

Diane Graves Smith