After four long years of negotiations, New York State has purchased 104,000 acres -- about seven times the size of Manhattan -- in the Adirondacks that will be preserved as a joint "working forest" and public space with restrictions against development.

Purchased from the Lyme Timber Company in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the oversized parcel known as Sable Highlands sits in the Northeastern corner of Adirondack Park. Over 50,000 acres of the purchased land has never before been accessible to the public and will now be open for recreation, space including Sugarloaf Mountain and several pristine ponds.

Since 2004, generous individuals have committed over $4 million to the project, which combined with New York's Environmental Protection Fund was enough to conserve a piece of land that will serve generations of nature lovers and wildlife to come.

Robert Wells, heir to the Fiesta Dinnerware collection (so embedded in the American consciousness it even became the topic of a recently produced off-Broadway play), has bequeathed $9 million to The Nature Conservancy. His attorney cited Wells's respect for the Conservancy's "wide footprint" after traveling to places like the Chilean coasts, New Zealand and Alaska.

Twenty percent of the gift is earmarked for local conservation efforts in Wells's home state of West Virgina, specifically in the Central Appalachian Mountains. The bulk of the bequest will go towards global programs on behalf of the nature-loving recreational fisherman. The first date he took his wife on in the early 1950s? A 4:30 am catfishing expedition. Carolyn Wells also left a significant gift to the Conservancy following her death in 2005.

The Atlantic forest in Brazil is considered one of the worlds most endangered tropical rain forests, with as little 7 percent of it's original area remaining! As we all know trees are quite literally the lungs of the earth, without their constant releasing of oxygen we would all be in trouble, what you may not know is that forests like the Atlantic also help regulate the earths climate and atmosphere. The Plant A Billion Trees Project plans to do just that...plant a billion trees in the Atlantic Forrest over the next 7 years, basically they are going to re-forest 2.5 billion acres of land. I write about charities every day and I can't think of one I've heard of that is more important than this amazing project! The facts are staggering, and so impressive, after the project is done 10 million tons of carbon dioxide will have been removed from our air, planting these trees will do the same thing as removing 2 million cars from the road!! I urge you to get involved with this powerful movement. One dollar equals one tree, so tell everyone you know! Plant a Billion Trees website.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Just about anywhere you can think of, you can likely find an Abercrombie & Kent trip to take you there. The A&K Private Jet Experiences has numerous itineraries that whisk you away to anywhere from Bora Bora to Egypt. They have a variety of itineraries that take you to visit world destinations in style. Their customized Boeing 757 is capable of holding 186 passengers, but will only carry 52 for the Private Jet trips so each passenger has plenty of personal space, but can hang out n the jet's lounge area as well. This is definitely the company to call when you are ready to do your "Bucket List" trip.

They also do private experiences with special elements of personalization like individual dine-around choices and in-room breakfasts, or day trips like spa treatments, elephant rides and more. Accommodations include suites in some of the world's finest hotels and resorts, selected for their distinctive sense of place, gracious hospitality and inspiring views.

They also work with the Nature Conservancy to take you to some of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse destinations on the planet visiting Conservancy sites in Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Alaska. These trips include a year membership to the Nature Conservancy and seven percent of each trip's proceeds will be donated to The Nature Conservancy and its conservation efforts in the destinations visited in this trip series.

Today is the fourth entry in our month-long series that looks at end-of-the-year gift giving. The Nature Conservancy has some very interesting options for your holiday giving. The charity, which helps protect ecologically important lands and waters for both nature and people, has gift options in a variety of price tiers. For $50,000 you can sponsor a scientific expedition that will bear your recipient's name. For $32,000 you can protect a mile of land in Costa Rica. You can also donate to help to protect coral reefs and sponsor land by the acre in the U.S. The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide and they are involved in over 100 marine conservation projects globally. The easiest way to give is to donate a gift membership. The membership will include a Nature Gift Card announcing your present and all membership materials including a Conservancy membership card. This includes the Nature Conservancy magazine and invitations to participate in local events at Nature Conservancy preserves, which can be a fun and educational experience.