Our mother nature has bestowed upon us many wonderful gifts in the form of trees, lakes, mountains and seas, but owing to busy lifestyles most people forget to stay connected with nature and its beauty. They can try to excuse it with lack of time or interest, but people have truly forgotten their roots, which is a big mistake because without roots, a tree cannot grow and the same rule applies to human beings. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is time spent in nature and fortunately we can gift it to others as well. This holiday season, you can help your friends and loved ones rekindle their connection by giving them the gift of nature.
Give them a sapling
A sapling symbolizes true essence of nature. Gifting your loved ones a sapling is a great and affordable gifting idea this holiday season. Instead of gifting them a costly show piece or a bag, gift them a sapling that’ll grow in front of their eyes and become a permanent reminder of your affection and love. I recommend fruit trees because they are not only beautiful, they provide food!
Gift life time membership to a garden/park
A garden in your local community with lots of natural scenic beauty can be a great way of soothing the souls of your loved ones. A garden membership is an amazing way of bringing your near ones close to nature especially the elderly who want to stay in the garden and interact with people of similar age-group.
For the water lovers
Many of us have members in our family who love water (my husband is a total water baby) and want to stay in it always but can’t really do so owing to lack of time. So this holiday season take their excuses away by gifting them the tickets to a kayaking, canoeing, or tubing establishment (perhaps even season passes) where they can have loads of fun in the water and be closer to nature.
For the wildlife lover
Don’t forget about the people who love wildlife and animals. Kids especially fall in this category. This holiday season gift them a chance to explore wildlife closely by gifting them with season passes to a nearby zoo or wildlife sanctuary.
Apart from the above mentioned ideas you can devise your own methods and ways to develop unique gifting ideas that can bring your near and dear ones closer to nature. I would love to hear about your ideas in the comments below!
Fabulous ideas for all ages. I esp. like the sapling and lifetime garden membership ideas. We planted a tree this year and my kids love it! You can read about some of our favorite gifts for young naturalists in this post: http://www.eco-novice.com/2013/12/gifts-that-encourage-childs-sense-of.html
My father-in-law gives us a National Park pass each year and it’s one of my favorite gifts. We live near Yellowstone and use it there all the time, but it’s great to have when we wander into any other National Parks/Memorials/Recreation Areas.