The Tasmanian Conservation Trust sponsors a project in which volunteers around the world can knit jumpers for the penguins that live on their island. This particular species of penguin-- called "Little Penguins" because they are the smallest variety of the bird-- is very affected by the environment around it. Because of Australian oil spills, the birds need these little sweaters to keep them warm, because the oil damages their thermal feathers, and to keep them from ingesting the oil when they clean themselves. The TCT website-- http://www.tct.org.au-- offers a knitting pattern to make the jumpers. (There is a new knitting pattern for Adelie penguins and chicks as well.) It even has a picture of two Little penguins wearing their freshly knitted jumpers!
As a bit of a side note, I'm going to ask my friends and family to contribute to a fund to build a fence around the Little penguins' habitat to prevent them from "interacting with passing traffic" as the website so kindly puts it instead of giving me Christmas and birthday presents (my birthday is coming up shortly). If everyone asks you what you want, and you can't think of anything, just ask them to donate to a charity.
Update: the website now says that the project is finished thanks to numerous volunteers. Thanks to koreykruse for telling me!