One of the myriad activities in which to participate while visiting either Disneyland or Disney World is that of collecting and trading Disney-themed pins. Disney produces hundreds of these pins each year depicting almost every Disney character, theme, and event that could be named. Some are common, others quite rare. Pin enthusiasts as well as Disney cast members alike display them with pride upon colorful neck-encircling lanyards – a “Disney-versal” symbol recognized as an open invitation to other pin enthusiasts to strike up a conversation and possibly trade a few pins.
While it may come as a surprise to some who hold a rather jaundiced view of all things related to the House of Mouse (and I’ll admit that I too was once formerly among these very people), Disney has a long-standing program of supporting environmental causes as well as a corporate program of company-wide green practices dubbed “Environmentality.” Indeed, the Disney World Conservation Fund (DWCF) granted numerous grants in 2009 alone to such well-respected organizations as BirdLife International, Conservation International, the Peregrine Fund, the National Audubon Society, and many more in order to help these groups achieve their respective conservation goals.
The pins pictured above are the four that I discovered during my recent visit to Disneyland with my family. The “D with Mickey” in the lower left is the official 2009 Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund pin. Each of the other three are promoting of a green message and were in fact sold attached to cards made of recycled material embedded with flower seeds so the card can be soaked in water and planted (a creative and simple way to get people thinking about reconnecting to the land). As the pins are well designed and bear the images of popular characters, some will buy them for that alone while others for their green message. The overall effect, however, is that all who wear them will be helping to spread the conservation message. Kudos to Disney indeed!
