TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 13, 2016) - As Canadians focus on the upcoming holiday season and consider shopping for gifts the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is trying to relieve the pressure and stress. For shoppers looking for practical items to give the nature lovers on their list, NCC has you covered.

NCC is launching its 22nd annual Gifts of Canadian Nature. The alternative gift-giving program, offers shoppers a chance to plan meaningful gifts for their loved ones while also helping to help conserve critical habitat for native Canadian species. It's the perfect gift this holiday season.

The on-line catalogue makes it easy. Choose from one of nine different species you would like to symbolically protect. Your symbolic gift will help the Nature Conservancy of Canada protect our country's natural spaces and the species they sustain.

Native species available this year include: wolf, swift fox, snowy owl, moose, Canada lynx, American badger, and bald eagle. With any purchase of a Gift of Canadian Nature, you will receive a package that includes a full-colour certificate, an impressive 2017 Nature Conservancy of Canada wall calendar showcasing some of the country's most beautiful landscapes, and an eight-page booklet about the species of your choice. New this year, is a paperless gift option.

Gifts range from $40.00 to $1,000.00. Charitable tax receipts are issued for all gift purchases. Learn more at www.giftsofnature.ca or by calling toll-free 1-800-465-8005.

Quotes:

"These are great gifts for anyone on your list, especially the nature lover and the outdoor enthusiast. Here is a way for people to ensure the gifts they give and receive are unique and memorable. We are offering green ideas to conserve habitat for many species, while saving people time and frustration. Avoid mall line ups, buy local and help the Nature Conservancy of Canada care for our natural spaces and wildlife." Aaron Bilyea, Director of Marketing, Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Facts:

• A member of the weasel family, the American badger is equipped with extremely long front paws for digging dens and burrows. The subspecies found in British Columbia and Ontario are endangered, and thought to contain between 100 and 200 individuals.
• Among the largest birds of prey and one of the largest birds in North America, the bald eagle currently enjoys a healthy population across its range. But 40 years ago this species faced extinction in some parts of Canada.
• More than 80% of all funds raised by NCC go directly to on-the-ground conservation work.
• For the seventh year in a row, NCC has been ranked the top environmental charity on MoneySense magazine's Charity 100 list.

About:

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is Canada's leading not-for-profit private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain. Since 1962, NCC has helped to protect 2.8 million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares) across the country.