‘Tis the gift giving season. Nature gives gifts throughout the year. Some Nature winter gifts include:

  • Geese flying low at dawn and dusk.
  • Birds flitting about the bird feeder, competing for tasty morsels.
  • Ice crystals and snow on trees and garden plants.

What gifts are on your list this year? What can I give that difficult person or family member who has everything? Consider a nature related gift, whether to give or receive.

Books are a wonderful choice for cold winter days, either purchased or borrowed from your local library. Here are some of Platte Land Trust’s favorites.

  • A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
  • Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
  • Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman. Conservation Heroes of America by Miriam Horn
  • The Song of Trees by David George Haskell
  • The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
  • The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
  • The Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams
  • The Garden Awakening by Mary Reynolds

A gift of time is fitting for the person who has everything. Spend time with them outdoors – hiking, bird watching, or relaxing on a sunny park bench. Or give yourself the gift of nature. The Kansas City area has wonderful parks and trails to explore.  Some examples include:

  • Eagle Days at Smithville Lake, January 6 & 7
  • Jackson County Parks & Recreation, makeyourdayhere.com
  • Weston Bend State Park, Weston, Missouri
  • MDC Discovery Center in KCMO; https://mdc.mo.gov/
  • MDC Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area and Nature Center in Blue Springs, Missouri
  • Shawnee Mission Park and Johnson County Parks & Recreation trails; https://www.jocogov.org/dept/park-and-recreation/home
  • Line Creek Trail, Kansas City, Missouri
  • Loess Bluffs Wildlife Refuge (formerly Squaw Creek NWR), Mound City, Missouri

Enjoy Nature’s winter gifts this holiday season!