Wondering what to gift your family or friends in the lead up to the festive holidays? Our Wilding Schools team has compiled a list of 10 fun and sustainable gift ideas for nature-lovers, or for those wanting to get into exploring the outdoors next year:
📚 Books on nature and rewilding are an amazing way to learn more about wildlife. Wilding by Isabella Tree is a great book to learn more about rewilding. By choosing pre-loved books or buying from small businesses, you can further support sustainability. There are lots of great species ID and seasonal foraging guides available too.
🐾 Nature ID course or skills workshop is a great way to gift them with new skills! Look for a local learning course or workshop, such as a wild foraging, wildlife watching experience or guided bird ID walk.
🔍 Portable loupes are great for identifying signs of species presence. They are also fun to use during activities like bug hunts and can help spot smaller insects or fungi.
🌿 Non-physical gifts such as days out and memberships support sustainability by reducing waste and supporting conservation. You can also choose charity based on the person's interests and causes close to their heart, or find one that gives access to sites such as nature reserves.
🌻 Wildflower seeds can be purchased in various forms such as seed packets, seed bombs and seed-infused paper. By choosing native wildflower seeds you can further help to support British rewilding efforts, whilst helping to add some colour to your garden or local areas. Seeds are available in many forms, such as seed packets, seed bombs and seed paper.
🧣Hiking socks, hats and gloves can keep them warm whilst they explore nature in the colder months. Choose small businesses and sustainable materials where possible!
🐝 Wildlife houses are a fun addition to any garden and help to provide safe spaces for wildlife to nest and hibernate. They can often be purchased in local garden centres and through nature charities. You could also make your own to gift a handmade item, such as a bug hotel!
✏ Sketchbooks and pencils are an amazing gift for encouraging creativity and sketching local wildlife. There are many options for sustainable paper and pencils. Look out for products with the Forest Stewardship Council stamp or recycled and pre-loved items.
🌳 Tree planting and conservation actions are another fun, low waste gift that helps to support the environment. This can be personalized by choosing tree species, or specific environmental projects they enjoy and supporting in their name. There are many options for gifting environmental project support, such as sponsoring wildlife or areas of conservation land, or supporting tree planting in a specific region.
🧩 Fun nature games such as jigsaws, match-the-piece memory games, and scavenger hunts provide a fun way to learn about wildlife and identification of species. There are many different options for wildlife games for a variety of age groups.
🎁 Overconsumption is not sustainable, even if the products you’re buying are environmentally friendly! For more sustainable gifting, before purchasing consider...
- Will they like it?
- Do they need it?
- Is there a more sustainable alternative?
- Could you gift something homemade?
- Is there the option to buy this locally or from a small business?
- Could you choose a pre-loved item?
The work of Green Schools Revolution: Wilding Schools is made possible by the generosity of the #iwill Fund, a joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which supports young people to access high quality social action opportunities.