Name Something for Your Valentine

Published: February 14, 2012 Author: Suzanne Kantra – Today.com

For a long-lasting romantic gesture for your loved one, choose a Valentine’s Day gift that keeps giving well beyond the holiday. While roses may fade and chocolate is quickly consumed, naming something after your beloved provides years of enjoyment. And many options support a worthy cause – giving you extra romance bonus points!

International Star Registry Custom Star Kit

Think your Valentine is a star? Put his or her name on one with International Star Registry Custom Star Kit ($50 on StarRegistry.com). The package includes a certificate with the star name, date and coordinates, plus a 12- by 16-inch sky chart with the star name, star date, the constellation and the location of the star circled in red. International Astronomical Union, the official authority that designates stars, planets, asteroids and other heavenly bodies, won’t recognize the naming, but it’s all in good fun anyway.

Adopt a Penguin

Who doesn’t like a cute, cuddly penguin? With International Penguin Conservation Work Group’s Adopt a Penguin program ($55 per year on Seabirds.org), you can adopt and name a Magellanic penguin in South America. You’ll get regular news and photos of your penguin, a digital copy of Mike Bingham’s book “The Penguins of South America” and a map to that shows the exact location of your penguin’s burrow. Yes a burrow. Magellanic penguins live in burrows, which is how the organization can identify yours. Evidently it’s illegal to tag a penguin with your name—even if you wanted to.

Adopt-a-Bench

There are more than 9,000 benches in New York City’s Central Park and one of them can bear a plaque with your Valentine’s name and a short inscription. 2,000 benches have already been claimed, but you’ll have your pick from the remaining thousands. Choose from a regular bench for $7,500 contribution to the Central Park Conservancy or a hand-made rustic bench of $25,000. If you’re not a New Yorker, visiting your bench would be the perfect excuse to plan a romantic getaway.

Excerpted from: The Today Show