Green and Local Gift Ideas

This list was compiled by members of the Davis Climate Action Team and concerned citizens who want to live more responsibly. We have created a list of suggestions for a greener holiday celebration. The following ideas are just to get you started. Get two for one this holiday season: give a gift to your loved ones that’s also a gift to the planet.

What a relief not to face traffic and crowds in unfamiliar shopping malls. Limit yourself to friendly Davis and Yolo County for your gift shopping this year. Reduce stress, lower your carbon footprint and help the local economy.

Give the gift of sustainable living

Many folks appreciate a practical gift that also helps Mother Earth. Why not go the next step—shop locally and buy products that save energy and promote healthy living?

Energy Efficiency

• Give the gift of a light bulb - compact fluorescent lights (with the potential energy savings of 75%)
• Give a gift of LED holiday lights with timers (save up to 25% in electricity costs)
• Give a gift of Smart’ power strips (Reducing “phantom load” saves 10% or more of home electricity consumption)
• Give a torchiere light (can now be purchased with CFL bulbs)
• Give a gift of occupancy sensors (sensor turns on light with motion and turns light off after set number of minutes).
• Give a book on energy efficiency.
  • Even better, give Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis
• Give an I-phone solar charger
• Give a solar cooker
• Give green cleaning products
• Give a reusable Chico Bag available at B & L Bike Shop & Davis Food Co-op
• Give a Klean Kanteen or CamelBak Bottle available at Davis Food Co-op, B & L Bike Shop & Davis Outdoor
• Give a clothesline and clothes pins or a drying rack
• Give the gift of a cooler home and save water by planting a tree, building a trellis, growing drought-tolerant plants, or installing awnings.
• Give an electric, push or reel lawn mower.
• Give a gift of duct sealing or insulation
• Give a gift of natural light with installation of a solar tubular skylight
• Give a gift of a composter, rain barrel or worm bin
• Dedicate a tree through Tree Davis!
• Or if you want to give a bigger ticket item,: energy efficient water heaters, windows, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, whole house fan, energy star appliances, computers and tvs (Check for rebates at www.pge.com/rebates/ )
• Give a gift of birth control. Overpopulation may be the worst environmental problem on Earth.

To get more ideas from the City of Davis/ Valley Climate Action Center 2009 Energy Efficiency Forum: experts from UC Davis, Davis Energy Group , Verve Solar and the City of Davis identify energy efficiency actions you can take at home. http://eec1.ucdavis.edu/news/Cooling%20the%20Earth%20-%20Summary.pdf

Transportation

• Give a gift of a bus pass
• Give a bicycle or bicycle equipment
• Give a bike tune up
• Give a gift of walking shoes
• Give bicycle panniers and shopping bags
• Give a membership to Zipcar
• Or if you are looking for a bigger ticket item, give the gift of an all electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle

Shop local

UC Davis Olive Oil is harvested from olive trees around the UCD campus.

• Give a gift from downtown Davis.
• Give a gift from Yolo County.
• Re-gift at a thrift store
• Find local resources at DavisWiki.
• Find local businesses at Davis Chamber of Commerce.
• Find local downtown business at Davis Downtown Business Association.

You’ll find fresh and unique gifts while you save time and fuel when you purchase from local vendors. Don’t miss out on these special products. Add your own to the list below.

• Give a gift from a local seller at the Davis Farmers Market or the Davis Flea Market.
• Give a subscription to a Community Supported Agriculture box from a local farm.
• Give a work of art.
• Give a one of a kind gift from The Artery
• Give olive oil or wine from Yolo County.
• Give a membership to Slow Food Yolo
• Give a gift from the Davis Art Center Holiday Sale

Give a local experience

We all get too busy with our lives, but the gifts below help us slow down and enjoy quality time together. The hardest part will be deciding which activity to give—this list is just the beginning of many local possibilities.

• Give a membership to a museum.
• Give the gift of a class (such as at the Davis Arts Center: http://www.davisartscenter.org/education/, Experimental College: http://asucd.ucdavis.edu/experimentalcollege, Yolo Master Gardeners http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/
• Give a play at Davis Musical Theatre Company.
• Give the arts from UC Davis Theatre and Dance
• Give a concert from the UC Davis Music Department
• Give a performance from the Mondavi Center
• Give a ticket to Acme Theatre Company
• Give the gift of a movie ticket at a local theatre: Varsity Theatre or link to show times
• Give an adventure at Outdoor Adventures
• Give a class at the UC Davis Craft Center
• Give a climb at Rocknasium.
• Give a tee time at a local golf course
• Give a ticket to the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento - Davis concert series
• Give yoga, dance or fitness lessons
• Give tickets to a romantic ballroom dance: www.dancingtonight.com,
• Give a cooking class: http://www.davisfood.coop/classes.html
• Give a spa, beauty treatment or message
• Give a meal at a local restaurant.
• Give a Tuleyome or Stebbins outing: http://yolohiker.org/
• Give a bird watching walk: http://www.yoloaudubon.org/
• Give a ticket to a film festival
• Give a gift of a visit to a gallery or a museum
• Give a gift of sports camps

Support a local non-profit

Many folks don’t want any more “things” to clutter their homes, so a gift that helps others is perfect. Match your gift to the interests of the recipient. This list provides a start. For a list of Yolo County non-profits, see: http://web-iii.yolocounty.org:81/

• Give to a local treasure at the UC Davis Arboretum.
• Give to families in need at STEAC.
• Give to those in need at Food Bank of Yolo County.
• Give to global understanding at the International House.
• Give to the wildlife refuge at Yolo Basin Foundation
• Give to a healthy creek at the Putah Creek Council
• Give to protecting the wild heritage of Yolo County at Tuleyome
• Give a gift to Davis Schools: http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/district/foundation/
• Give a gift to help women and children: http://www.sadvc.org/
• Give a gift of health: http://www.communicarehc.org/

Give a handmade or recycled gift

Nothing is more touching than something made especially for you by hand. Challenge yourself to use local and recycled materials in your crafts. There’s no end to what you can create.

• Give a gift of a food basket (try local foods!)
• Give a gift of homemade food including mixes, bread, jams and meal coupons
• Give a gift of dress up clothes from the thrift store
• Give a gift of handmade jewelry
• Give a gift of homemade craft items (candles, holiday cards, quilts, wreaths)
• Give a gift of coupons (babysitting, gardening, making dinner)
• Give a gift of a homemade book of memories, family history, or an original story
• Give a gift of recorded bedtime stories
• Give a gift of music
• Give a gift from a thrift store
• Give a book from the Friends of the Davis Public Library book sale
• Give a gift of cloth bags for vegetables at the grocery and in the refrigerator
• Give a gift of homemade wrapping papers and gift bags