The perfect holiday gift sometimes has an element that makes it not so perfect after all.
After the holidays are over, all that plastic packaging that encased all those perfect gifts will still be around, even after garbage trucks haul it away. The packaging that’s not biodegradable will take a toll on the environment for years to come.
Eco-conscious Southland consumers can find some alternatives, though, right in their backyard. The Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township is among the four gift shops in the Forest Preserve District of Will County offering a special holiday selection this year.
Inside the nature center, a Christmas tree displays handmade, fair trade ornaments sourced from a nonprofit organization. There are stockings hanging among another selection of fair trade goods, along with wooden animal pull toys, trains and puzzles created by a woman in Beecher.
“It is a nice alternative to some less-sustainable materials,” Plum Creek facility supervisor Jessica Prince said. “We lean into that quite a bit. However … there are other platforms we support in addition to sustainability.”
The Christmas décor and merchandise went on display Dec. 1, but Plum Creek offers a gift shop year-round, focusing on nature, wellness and sustainability. Many items are handmade, sourced from artisans both global and local, often labeled as fair trade, handmade and/or nonprofit. Among the local favorites offered year-round is honey from the on-site hives tended by beekeeper Mike Rusnak, of Glenwood.
Forest Preserve gift cards are also an option for nature fanatics on one’s gift list. They offer recipients the flexibility to use them not only at the four gift shops but also to pay fees for programs, permits and rentals across the Will County system.
The district’s gift shops also are at the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook and Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville. Gifts across the system include ornaments, bird houses and wind chimes.
Prince said the shops sometimes sell special items brought in with exhibits. Plum Creek, for example, held a hummingbird festival in August and bought hummingbird-related items to supplement the program.
“We are here to extend the message of the site and have that additional touchpoint with our visitors,” Prince said. “It is not intended as a revenue-making initiative. We do want to come into the black, but our primary goal is to extend that experience by supporting exhibits.”
The Plum Creek Nature Center, 27064 S. Dutton Road, is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.
The nature center offers owl hikes in the winter, which often hit capacity. It also has an Upcycled Holiday Crafts program slated for Dec. 17 and a Hibernation Pajama Party over school holiday break.
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“If the kids are getting cabin fever, if the parents are looking to get out of the house over holiday break, Dec. 29 will be a fun one, as well,” Prince said.
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.