(This year I’m re-running some of my older charity posts for Christmas. Call them my Favorite-Favorites.)

I have a thing in December where, instead of regular posts about my Very Important Life I talk about my favorite charities.  This week it’s the Durrell Trust.

When I was in elementary school I discovered Gerald Durrell’s books.   My favorites were his stories of collecting animals in far-off places.  The animals were so engaging you couldn’t help but fall in love.  I was so enthralled I even did a school report on Corfu, the place where his most famous books (about his childhood) are set.  My mom called the Corfu tourism agency who delightedly sent us all the information and material a nine year old’s travel report could possibly need.  In thanks my mom sent back a Virginia ham.

After he began his zoo in the Jersey Isles Durrell created the Durrell Trust to protect animals all over the world and train other people in that mission.  They do really amazing ecological work, and not only for the cool/fuzzy/big animals.  Everything from toads to obscure rabbits benefit from their work.

Henry Cavill, AKA “Superman” is the Durrell Trust’s current ambassador, which is pretty cool.

You can do a lot of different things to support the trust, including adopting an animal (my mom adopted Dobby the Pied Tamarin in my name last year).  You get a poster and a bookmark and an invitation into an exclusive Facebook group where you can see updates on your animal), buying cool stuff (including his books, which are really hilarious and I highly, highly recommend), become a member, or joining the American Friends of Durrell.