I was sending some Christmas cards to family and friends in England and wanted to add a gift – something flat, light, useful…

Then I thought about Oxfam Unwrapped and the Tear Fund who offer gift cards with a purpose, a chicken, a goat, clean water etc where they are most needed. Then I thought I’d like to do the same but with a conservation purpose and I found the WWF symbolic adoptions, and then, getting closer, the Phillip Island adopt a (symbolic) penguin.

Finally I thought that I’d really rather support the West Coast Penguin Trust. We don’t have an adopt-a-penguin scheme and I just wanted to donate small amounts, so I created a card, printed them as I might a photo, popped them inside Christmas cards and made donations.

I thought you might like to do the same – for Christmas gifts to those near or far, by post or electronically, for as little or as much as you like. 

You can

  • donate using our credit card donation page,
  • Donate by direct credit to West Coast Penguin Trust 38–9011–0518009–00 (please drop us a line if you’d like a receipt)
  • Or drop some cash into a donation box, for example at J’s Cafe and New World in Westport or Photo Corner,  Wilderness Gallery or the Kiwi Centre in Hokitika

Here’s the card I made, to include in an email, print onto 6″x4″ photo paper, or copy and print onto some paper, make a card, cut out etc.

DOWNLOAD HERE: Christmas penguin – donation in lieu of gift card

And I’d like to thank Kim McLeod – I borrowed the image from these lovely ‘printables’, which you might also like:

https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/free-penguin-christmas-card-printables/