Though she’s in the process of getting ready to launch her own line of clothing for charity, Gwyneth Paltrow has decided to take on some additional charitable design challenges as well. The actress has designed a limited-edition bikini for Lilly Pulitzer’s A Colorful Cause: Celebrity Designer Program, which honors the label’s 50th anniversary by supporting The Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation.

Joining Paltrow in the designing are five additional famous faces: Brooke Shields, Debra Messing, Marcia Cross, Angie Harmon, Bridget Moynahan, Catherine Bell, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilson have all signed on to lend their personal touches to the mommy-and-me creations. The clothes will be available for purchase in April at Lilly Pulitzer stores across the country and online at the official site.

The Little Stamp Company

Spice Girl Mel C is inviting you to adopt. Along with fellow celebs Kim Wilde and comedian Timmy Mallet, Mel is promoting the Adopt a Word campaign, an initiative of I Can. I Can supports speech skills for children with special needs, and by making a donation to adopt a word for a year, you can help a youngster learn to communicate.

Freaky-beautiful (anybody who can make human meat pies, kill Sirius Black, and still seduce King Arthur is entitled to that description!) Helena Bonham Carter is the new patron of Action Duchenne, a UK muscular dystrophy charity. She says, “As a patron of Action Duchenne, I would like to urge as many people as possible to find out about the work of the charity and the devastating effects of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Treatments and a cure seem tantalisingly close but they will not appear without further support and funding. Please join Action Duchenne in helping to make muscle wasting history.”

Is it that time of year already?! Last holiday season, after Josh Lucas purchased a fake Christmas tree, Ecorazzi posed the question: Is an “organic” fake Christmas tree better for the environment than a real Christmas tree? Overall, most people had never heard of said “organic fake tree” and argued that a real tree is not only biodegradable but grown to be chopped down, thus making the latter option far more environmentally friendly. Well, as the holidays approach, the Christmas tree is once again being foisted into the spotlight, but this time for charity.

Actors Julianne Moore, Brooke Shields, Angie Harmon, Eva Longoria Parker and Tony Parker have personally designed Christmas trees – with the help of Robert Verdi and Smith & Hawken — for an online auction to benefit Keep America Beautiful.

Keep America Beautiful “combines education with hands-on stewardship to make America’s communities cleaner, greener, safer, and more livable.” Matthew M. McKenna, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful said, “This is such a great concept for a fundraiser, and with the A-list stars supporting it, Keep America Beautiful couldn’t be more thrilled to be the chosen beneficiary. The funds generated by this auction will help us in fulfilling our grassroots mission to build cleaner, greener, stronger communities nationwide.”

To participate in the auction, simply visit SmithandHawken.com/Trees between October 15 and December 5th and click on the “BID NOW” button. The auction winners will receive their special trees just in time for the holidays. Happy bidding!

“I’ve made homeopathic treatments and aromatherapy treatments. I’m constantly looking for the best products out there, and I helped my hairdresser launch a line of organic hair-care products, free of animal products as well as parabens and sulfates called David Babii for WildAid. Ten percent of the money goes toward protecting endangered species,” shares bouncy Kate Hudson on her green habits. Kate’s also pretty creative with her vegetables.

To get more of Kate’s tips, as well as some advice from Sheryl Crow, Brooke Shields, Gayle King, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston, click here.

The goal is to receive 100,000 signatures by July 4, 2008.  To help her with that lofty number, Stevens has enlisted stars like Brooke Shields, Kristen Wiig, Russell Simmons, Emily Deschanel, and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Zana Briski (”Born into Brothels”), to help her on her mission. 

Stevens says, “Global warming is challenging all of us to radically and immediately alter our behavior. Since agribusiness is the #1 culprit in everything from the melting of the Polar ice caps to the extinction of animal and plant species to water shortages, we must all alter our diets if we want this beautiful planet to be here for our children and grandchildren.”

The Declaration of Compassion will be unveiled in a ceremony at the 7th Annual Catskill Animal Sanctuary Shindig on Saturday, June 28, 2008. Can’t make it to New York? NO WORRIES! An online petition allows supporters to virtually sign up and show their support for the compassionate lifestyle. It’s not too late, visit CASanctuary.org and add your name!