If you think topics about “the environment” need to be serious and somber, think again! During this season of whimsy, celebration and giving thanks –and as we make a fresh new start with the new year–everyone should be reminded:

* How funny and creative it can be to go green (not merely red and green!) and help save our planet.

* Kids and adults can’t help but chuckle at and learn from endearing cartoon characters and clever stories that explore nature, from nature’s point of view.

* Cartoons represent an art-form that not only entertains, but also imparts valuable lessons about life, especially as we all endeavor to be more Earth-friendly in 2012 and beyond.

* This is a season of giving. Let’s give a healthier, cleaner future to ourselves and future generations.

Long before I became a professional cartoonist involved in such issues, I was captivated by movies and television shows featuring wildlife and their day-to-day struggles to survive. As I began my career in cartooning and storytelling, I learned more and more about the environmental challenges all of earth’s inhabitants face: from depleted woodlands and wetlands, to forest fires, pollution, global warming, melting polar ice caps and holes in the ozone. I wanted to connect all this–concerns about our environment, appreciating the great outdoors, and old-fashioned cartooning that features fun, fascinating characters–to educate people of all ages. We can all laugh and be entertained as we learn about protecting our environment.

And which types of animals are funniest? How can they be linked to the environmental message? How can they make an impact during the holiday season and other key times important to children, including the school year? What characters will engage both kids and young-at-heart adults? Of course I wanted to include cartoon creatures we recognize readily and who can be infused with personalities–life forms that range from birds to bats, from horses to deer, from insects to plants to squirrels and (yes) even domesticated pets. They all spark the imagination at holiday time and year-round.

I drew my first cartoon while a student at Delaware Valley College in Pennsylvania, where I shared my dorm room with a turtle named Iggy, and three lizards. I even developed my first holiday feature “The Christmas Igglet” that told of Iggy (dressed as Santa Claus) delivering toys to his lizard friends. I think of that original story every holiday season!

It’s easy to chuckle at characters like the na