The best gifts for wildlife lovers

The Book of Insects

Typically less concerned by touching and finding the creepiest and crawliest of nature's bounty, kids are easily fascinated by the alien-esque world of tiny creatures they can find in the garden or on the go. Why? Who knows. Perhaps it's because they're within easy reach. None the less, TV presenter and insect enthusiast George C. McGavin's aptly named book: Insects is a colourful and useful guide to 550 different creatures small and... smaller.  

£8.79 

A Litter Picker?!

Reminiscent more of community service than of fun, this may seem an odd choice for your little one. But bizarrely enough, there's little as novel as being able to pick things up at a distance. In fact, you might even keep it for yourself. The best gift for a wildlife loving kid, keep them entertained whilst you search the wild for things to spot, with this little litter picker. They can give back without even realising. Points for the most plastic picked up!  

£7.00 

A (Sort Of) Magnifying Glass

An easy pairing with George C. McGavin's book, a Triplet Loupe (Essentially a magnifying glass) is a wonderful gift. Cheap, and simple, but a lifetime of use if looked after properly. Ignoring the new fascination your kid will have with every surface, they're amazing to observe small creatures and insects out and about, or in the back garden. Just make sure they don't bring them indoors for closer inspection.  

£9,75

National Trust Membership

If you've ever been stung by a swarm of bees, spat on by a Llama or got up to your ankle in cow pat, perhaps you've had enough of walking off the beaten path. Sometimes there's a beaten path for a reason. Give the gift of carefully curated paths, walks and perhaps even a cream tea, with a National Trust Membership. 

£76.80 per year 

Art!

Mesmerising, tasteful and frankly rather fascinating, artist Alexia Claire's paintings of British Wildlife paintings depict all the animals and plants that make the UK the vision of diversity we want to continue seeing. From mushrooms to murders of crows, billowings of bullfinches to Butterflies, there's something beautiful to adorn any wall.  The best wildlife gift for someone wanting a little wild at home. 

£45.00

A Good Bag

Chances are, if you're on the hunt for wildlife, you're in the great outdoors. To make the best use of it, you'll likely need what any hiker, wildlife observer or adventurer would need to bring out with them. The most important of which, a bag! Sliding towards the pricey end of the best wildlife gifts is Patagonia's 'Black Hole Pack'. Why so costly? When looking for rucksacks, it's always better to spend the extra cash, and get something that'll last. Made from recycled fabric, tough, weather resistant and a decent capacity, it's a good choice for someone special's birthday, and the best wildlife gift for first timers. 

£120 

A Snood

There's a moment, usually halfway up a large hill, where you stop, gaze into the distance at the stunning panorama in view -- and think 'Gosh, my ears ache'. It's a pain packing to go anywhere, and moreover, even harder when weight isn't tested by an angry airline host, but instead, by your spine. A literal must of outdoorsmanship, the snood is indispensable. A scarf, a hat, a wrist-warmer, and vitally an earmuff, the buff will defend your any and every need. Not the first wildlife gift you'd think of, but incredibly useful all the same.

£22

Our Gift Cards

Biased though we may be, we’d have to recommend our very own Gift Cards. We’d be thrilled just to know you’re out exploring the wild – but sometimes, you need a treat. Scrap that, you deserve a treat. Get a map, drop a finger, go and explore – and stay long enough to spot comets in the night sky, and hear the local dawn chorus. We have gift cards for weddings, groups bookings or simply just your lovely self.

Our Wild Cards

This year we launched our Wild Cards, a deck of inspiring words of wisdom from across the ages and around the world. Wild Cards are a tool for self discovery and reconnection with nature, giving you simple daily tips and provocations to help you consider your place in the natural world. Carry them with you and flip one over whenever you need a moment of contemplation, or disrupt poker night with a full house of kings and earthy thoughts.

£15

Our Book

Don’t judge a book by its cover is frankly, nonsense. That’s why books have covers. Ours, for instance, is beautifully crafted, linen-finished and wrapped around a compendium of thought-provoking essays from adventurers, writers, our own team and even a chef. With stunning imagery from cover to cover, Stay Wild’s content is interspersed with some of the most awe-inspiring highlights of our stays, and makes for at best a fascinating read, and at worst, the pièce de resistance of your coffee table.

£35.00

Our Free Guide to Nature Spotting for Kids

Lastly, and in some ways the best gift for a wildlife lover – A Guide to Nature Spotting for Kids. A booklet for those in love with exploration and adventure, with four packs full of amazing facts, games, puzzles and jokes, you may ask yourself how, HOW, is this free?

£ NADA