A Gift of Nature

In 1998, a friend gave me a nestbox.  We put it up in the backyard, and lo and behold that winter I saw my first Eastern Bluebird.  Now my days and neighborhood are filled with bluebirds.

A gift of nature shows family and friends that you care about them and our planet. It encourages both adults and children to get out of the house or office and enjoy the great outdoors and learn more about the world around them. It may renew or spark an interest that could last a lifetime. 

Here are some ideas. By the way, the CT DEP Store in Hartford CT has a wonderful selection of nature-related gifts (call 860-424-3555 for a free new 2007 catalog). Some of these links are CT-specific, but you get the idea. Some go to null so you can see prices and reviews, but be sure to shop around, and consider supporting local businesses whenever possible or buy from a conservation organization for added benefits.

HOMEMADE:

• Suet cakes - recipes here
• birdseed Christmas tree ornament or pine cone coated with birdseed
• birdhouse and maybe an offer to help install it (to make sure it is properly baffled), and instructions
• coupon for a “walk in the woods” or a picnic with you

$5-20:

• year’s subscription to Connecticut Wildlife (6 issues for $6)
• a nature field guide:
  • Sibley’s Birds or other birding book
  • Bugs & Slugs: An Introduction to Familiar North American Species
  • Looking at Rocks (My First Field Guides)
  • A Field Guide to Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-Central North America (Peterson Field Guides)
  • Mac's Field Guide to Northeast Park and Backyard Birds (Laminated Card)
• A hiking or biking trail guide like 50 Hikes in Connecticut
• bag of birdseed and/or a feeder
• a packet of native plant seeds or small plant like a Yellow Lady's Slipper
• nestbox for birds with instructions
• blank sketch book or journal for drawings or musings about nature
• package of plant bulbs
• net and bug collecting jar
• rock collection
• kite
• an activity book for children (like the Beginners Book of Wildflowers with Stickers or Birds Sticker Activity Book
• fishing license (available at Town Halls and tackle shops) - in CT, passes for disabled, juveniles and elderly persons are free
• Buzz Off hiking socks impregnated with permethrin insect repellent clothing (good for ticks)
• nature/science related activity game like Adventures In Science, Eco-Detective
• nature DVD like Winged Migration
• Bird doorknobs (painted ceramic)
• Song Bird Shade Grown coffee, certified organic

$25-75:

• gift certificate at a native plant nursery
• Membership at the Audubon Society
• park pass - e.g., a Seasons Pass to all CT State Parks and Recreational Areas
• fishing pole
• day pack
• sneaker style hiking shoes with good ankle support
• ice skates
• birdbath
• bird doorbell (hand-etched, patina-aged copper)
• "Buzz Off" clothing
• greenways license plate for the family car
• Deluxe Two Person Picnic Backpack with Blanket
• Microscope to look at pond water
• kit to make pressed flowers
• letterboxing kit with some starter locations

PRICIER:

• bicycle (and helmet of course)
• good pair of binoculars
• GPS (Global Positioning System) device
• live Christmas tree
• cross-country skis
• snow shoes
• canoe
• balloon ride (Brighter Skies Ballooning is right in Woodstock CT)

FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS EVERYTHING:

• a donation in their name or membership to a (legitimate) open space or conservation organization or project (tax deductible too!): e.g.,
  • Eastern CT Forest Landowners Association/Wolf Den Land Trust
  • Joshua’s Trust
  • The New Roxbury Land Trust
  • New England Wildflower Society
  • Wyndham Land Trust
  • The Nature Conservancy (with adopt an acre, rainforest, reef and other projects)
  • CT Audubon Society
  • Quinnebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor
• An "Eco-Travel" gift certificate for a field trip or private tour (e.g., with a naturalist).

Other gifts especially for bluebirders

May all your blues be birds!

If you experience problems with the website/find broken links/have suggestions/corrections, please contact me!
The purpose of this site is to share information with anyone interested in bluebird conservation.
Feel free to link to it (preferred as I update content regularly), or use text from it for personal or educational purposes, with a link back to http://www.sialis.org or a citation for the author.
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Photo in header by Wendell Long.
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Last updated May 3, 2012. Design by Chimalis.