What to give people who love nature?
That time of year is approaching when everyone's desire to delight loved ones and those around them intensifies. But the end of the year becomes more and more intense with all sorts of finishing touches, and even after thinking, "this year I will definitely arrange the holidays earlier," time flies by, or you find yourself scrambling at the last minute, wondering what to get your dearest ones? So, for the second year, I want to help you, and myself, by offering a multitude of gift ideas. Since I am a nature-loving person, and many like-minded people surround me, these gift ideas are specifically for those who gladly go on hikes, for whom the forest is the best place to be, and who never miss an opportunity to admire the ever-changing natural horizons and details. As always, I first think about what experiences and adventures we can give each other, and only then do charming and useful items come into play.
I tried to categorize all the ideas by type to make them easier to find. The list of ideas in each group is not exhaustive, so if you like a particular idea, you can always find more options online. Thank you to everyone who contributed ideas and recommendations.
I hope you find some inspiring ideas!
EXPERIENCES AND ADVENTURES
For me, giving experiences, adventures, and time together is much more valuable than any object, because time is becoming more and more precious as everyone lives life at an ever-faster pace. Therefore, I invite you to first consider such gifts.
❆ WINTER PICNIC – Give your friends an invitation to a picnic you've organized in the forest. A place with a gazebo in the forest would be perfect for this (e.g., on the Saidė cognitive trail, in Neris Regional Park). You can picnic all year round. It's fun to light a grill, cook something, drink a warm beverage, spend time together, walk in the forest, look for treasures, or just have a pleasant conversation.
❆ WALK IN THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM - I invite people to educational walks in the forests, during which I tell the most interesting stories about the mushrooms encountered there. Education takes place at various times of the year. It is most convenient to give a gift voucher with the option to choose a suitable date.
❆ BIRD WATCHING - bird watching is a very mindful way of being in nature. You have to activate completely different senses; you start to see, hear, and identify birds. And if you also hear interesting stories about these inhabitants of nature, getting to know birds becomes even more memorable. Bird watching tours are organized by the Ornitostogos team or https://pazinkpaukscius.weebly.com/
❆ FOREST BATHING - an increasingly popular meditative and sensory way to spend time in the forest. Such bathing is organized by Mila and other people.
❆ HIKES: sometimes it's great to go on a hike that someone else has already planned and arranged, so all you have to do is invite friends and go. You can look for such hikes with Trenkturas; in the Visaginas area, various nature adventures are offered by LitWildTravel
❆ ESCAPE TO A FOREST CABIN - if you simply want to escape from your usual home environment and spend at least a weekend in a cabin, surrounded by the forest, you can look for places for such a stay at wowstays.lt, doyouplace or Jaukuku.lt .
❆ CREATING A FOREST AMBIANCE AT HOME - it's best to enjoy forests in the forest, but you can also create a bit of a forest feeling at home. For example, Kvapų namai, among various scents, has an essential oil blend called "Sengirė" or "Miško maudynės" (Forest Bathing). You can also add a diffuser for a perfect set. And if you want such a gift to be more special, I invite you to give not just a fragrant gift, but a whole adventure right at home - comfortably sitting on cushions, perhaps even pitching a tent right there, with the scent of the forest wafting, lighting candles, heating up some hot drink on an outdoor stove, and creating a wonderful picnic without even leaving the house. Also, for such a home "forest stroll," watching the movie "Sengirė" (you can find it here) would be wonderfully suitable. And all the items suitable for such a picnic at home can be a gift set.
❆ BEST PLAYLIST - when I go for a walk and don't necessarily want to observe my surroundings closely, but rather breathe fresh air and get some exercise, I really enjoy listening to interesting things. Therefore, I think it could be a great idea to give a loved one a hand-picked and specially curated playlist of music or interesting podcasts for such walks.
BOOKS TO INSPIRE CURIOSITY ABOUT NATURE AND ITS WONDERS
Beyond physically traveling through new landscapes, we can wander through them in our imagination by delving into the world of books. And then there are the most fascinating things that can surprise us!
❆ LITHUANIAN BOOKS:
As I discussed with an acquaintance, if I had to grab one book to take with me to a desert island, it would definitely be this book! This is one of the best books about the world of mushrooms, suitable for both those who want to get acquainted with this world and those who want to deepen their knowledge - "RAIZGUS GYVENIMAS" (Eng. "Entangled life"). The book is full of the young scientist Merlin Sheldrake's most interesting stories and insights that make you think on every page.
The newly published Lithuanian book "BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants". This is a meditative book by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer, full of listening to the language of nature and the wisdom of ancient peoples.
Not all scientists can interestingly talk about their discoveries and insights. But Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, a professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, can certainly tell engaging stories, sometimes spiced with witty remarks. In Lithuanian, we have her book "INSECT PLANET: Why Humans Need Insects".
"NATURAL FERMENTATION" - Ieva Šidlaitė's newly republished and supplemented book about fermenting and salting nature's bounties with a bunch of recipes. You can also look into her other book "WHAT THE FROST BITES".
❆ ENGLISH BOOKS:
I really liked Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson's already mentioned book "TAPESTRIES OF LIFE", in which the author, traveling through various stories, shows how everything, including us, is connected in nature. I highly recommend the audio format, narrated by the author herself (I listened on audible.com).
“The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins” (Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing) - another book for mushroom world enthusiasts. This is a story told through the world's most expensive mushroom, which grows in Asia, while also raising the question of what grows in human-disrupted landscapes? Robin Wall Kimmerer's meditative books, full of ancient wisdom about nature: "Gathering Moss," "Braiding Sweetgrass" (this book should soon be released in Lithuanian, titled "Stumbražolių pynimai: protėvių išmintis, augalų pamokymai ir mokslinis pažinimas").
One of the most beautiful projects for me is “Eyes as big as plates”, where artists work with elderly people living in various countries, embedding them in natural landscapes and photographing them.
❆ BOOKS FOR CHILDREN:
I. Toleikytė's book "A Star in the Hat" about the adventures of the mushroom Mėšliukas on a journey through the forest. Also recommended were: "The Wild Symphony" (D. Brown), "Discoveries in Nature: Travel and Learn" (S. Paltanavičius), "A Year Under the Great Oak" (G. Muller), "Trees" (P. Socha, W. Grajkowski), "What and Why in Nature? About Lithuania and Beyond" (S. Paltanavičius, M. Vaitkevičiūtė), "In Caves and Caverns" (M. Špačková), "Squirrel's Year" (and other animal years) (S. Paltanavičius), "A Year in the Forest" (E. Dziubak), "Animal Homes" (E. Dziubak).
❆ MAGAZINES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscriptions to interesting Lithuanian and foreign magazines on science and nature topics are also a good idea, especially when you know what a specific person is interested in.
An interesting magazine "Forest as a journal"
❆ AUDIOBOOKS: I also really like audiobooks, which I can put on and immerse myself in the world of the book during long walks or when I simply need to trudge from point A to point B, or even do some brainless work. I listen to books on the audible platform (most of the books there are in English). You can give a book credit there, with which you can purchase the desired book and enjoy it. It's especially cool to listen when the author themselves narrates it. Well, for books narrated in Lithuanian, you'll find them on AUDIOTEKA; here you can also give a voucher to purchase a favorite book.
NATURE-INSPIRED ART
Decorating your home with beautiful, nature-inspired artworks created by local artists is also a great idea.
❆ I often feast my eyes on the works of Marija Tiurina, originally from Visaginas – her creations are brimming with a fantastical natural world intertwined with urban life. I would gladly receive such a gift (e.g., this one).
❆ Excellent Staselė Jakuskaitė's works (prints, postcards)
❆ Elena Oshima's sensitive and subtle works
❆ The world of mushrooms and forests is full in Inga / EitiPrints' works
❆ Christmas ornaments from the mushroom world for the Christmas tree. I came across these mushroom creations by Lithuanians: @murdeko.ceramics, Akimirkų gaudyklė, Taute ceramics and at Swamp art
❆ Here I spotted a wall calendar with botanical illustrations.
NATURE-INSPIRED CLOTHING
While clothing as a gift can be a bit complicated (you really need to get the size and preferred style right), if you know what they like, it's definitely an option. Plus, many stores offer gift certificates.
❆ The already mentioned Staselė Jakunskaitė's wonderful and witty works (my favorites are "Mushroom season" and the entire SWAP series), printed on sweatshirts and t-shirts.
❆ "Surink Lietuvą" launched a new campaign "Your Wild Hero." The goal is to introduce unique inhabitants of ancient forests and help everyone discover their wild hero. A limited edition collection of sweatshirts will be created for each hero. And 10 euros from each sweatshirt will go to the "Sengirės fondas". November's hero is the Common Green Mushroom! Sweatshirts with it can be given as gifts now.
❆ Impressive nature patterns and durable quality leggings and swimsuits for women and girls (https://duefashion.com/). By the way, when purchasing until November 27, part of the money will go to the organization "Tušti narvai"!
USEFUL IN THE FOREST
❆ I think a mushroom picker would be delighted with an Opinel mushroom knife! Especially nice is the one with a brush, which is convenient for cleaning sand off mushrooms. You can find it in many online stores.
❆ Well, a wicker basket for mushrooms or other forest goodies would go perfectly with the knife.
❆ For those who enjoy camping or spending time in the forest, travel kitchen gadgets will definitely come in handy (a stove that can be used with a gas canister, and suitable pots and dishes). For coffee lovers, you can put together a coffee-making kit for the forest, adding delicious coffee beans. I suggest looking at Montis magia or similar outdoor gear stores. With such a stove, you can prepare coffee or food anywhere; it's especially convenient when you're in a place where fires are not allowed. Such a gift can be perfectly combined with a surprise picnic.
❆ For those who enjoy not only walking in the forest but also camping, a hammock will be a great gift. You can choose a single or double. What could be better than a slow swing with a view of a lake or in another favorite spot? You can find hammocks in various outdoor gear stores. Or I highly recommend needfortrees.lt, which has tried camping in all weather conditions.
❆ Another idea - binoculars, which will suit both birdwatchers and people who simply enjoy being in nature. You can browse for them at https://www.ornitostogos.lt/ store, where you will also find more great gift ideas related to nature and its exploration.
❆ Well, you can also give other useful and practical items for camping and outdoor travel (e.g., thermos, travel mug, mat, sleeping bag, gloves, tent, waterproof blanket, etc.), which you can also find in tourist stores.
TASTY GIFTS
When I'm not sure what a dear person would like, it's hard to go wrong with edible gifts, so I really like them!
❆ Flavored salts, which are great for spicing up any dish, both when cooking at home and in the forest. Esta Galgatavičiūtė shares a great idea for porcini salt on her Instagram account. I gave such mushroom salt to my friends last year and everyone loved it, and it's very easy to make. You can mix other salt flavors using the same principle. And Simona Laiconaitė has prepared a more detailed post about salts and came up with several flavor options.
❆ If you managed to dry some mushrooms, dried mushrooms make excellent gifts for friends.
❆ If you have tea leaves, you can also mix herbal teas. If you haven't chosen any, you can find ready-picked and dried ones for sale.
❆ And then there are all sorts of jams (you can also experiment exotically, for example, with caramelized onion jam), chutneys, and so on.
CUTE THINGS
When you want to add something cute to a gift.
❆ Pins (mushrooms and other creatures) at MakeHeadsTurn and Ornishop
OTHER IDEAS:
❆ You can also look for cool puzzles, if a friend likes to calmly switch off their mind by focusing on assembling a puzzle.
❆ Bird feeders, which can be hung near home when it gets cold. IMPORTANT: find out about bird feeding tips, so that we help birds, not harm them. I saw some nice feeders here.
❆ "Tree of Feelings" - a tool to observe your experiences throughout the year. A portion of the proceeds from this tool goes to preserving old-growth forests.
❆ Support for organizations that help nature and its inhabitants thrive more easily. For example, the Sengirė Fund ensures that Lithuania's old-growth forests are not cut down and has the option of "Donate as a Gift", where you can donate a chosen amount and dedicate this donation to a specific person.
Organizations that rescue homeless animals always need various support. By the way, you can also help such organizations with your time (walking dogs, cleaning cages, etc.), just find such an organization, invite friends along, and it will be a wonderful and meaningful time spent for a good cause.
