The best gifts for wildlife lovers
Stuck for a Christmas present? Birthday? That sudden “oh no it’s Mother’s Day tomorrow” panic? We’ve all been there, especially when you’re shopping for someone who’d rather be out spotting birds or hiking ridgelines than scrolling for meaningless stuff online.
So here’s our fresh 2025 guide to the best gifts for wildlife lovers, packed with ideas that feed curiosity, spark adventure and bring a little more wild into everyday life.
For the reader
A surprise nature book from Mr B's Emporium in Bath
If you’ve ever wished a brilliant book would just find you, this is your moment. The team at Mr B’s Emporium, Bath’s legendary indie bookshop, will hand-select a nature-themed read they genuinely love and post it straight to your giftee’s door. It’s thoughtful without the pressure of choosing perfectly, and ideal for anyone who enjoys slow mornings, and a book they didn’t know they needed. It feels like getting a personal recommendation from a very well-read friend.
Winter: The Story of a Season, by Val McDermid
A beautiful, cosy memoir by Scotland’s queen of crime, but this time she’s celebrating winter, not solving mysteries. McDermid explores the season through childhood memories, frosty landscapes, Scottish traditions and the creative quiet that winter brings. It’s a reminder that winter isn’t bleak, but a time for light, ritual and rest.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025
This year’s cover features Amit Eshel’s breathtaking Arctic wolves, and inside are 100 award-winning photographs from around the world. Dramatic, delicate details, strange creatures, environmental stories, this incredible book a window into the wild from your coffee table. Ideal for nature lovers, photography fans, and anyone whose living room needs a little more wonder
For the pocket-sized enthusiast
Out and About Animal Spotter book
Pocket-sized, beautifully illustrated and packed with tips for identifying 50 wild animals, from hedgehogs and slow worms to deer and grass snakes. It’s the perfect book to slip into a little pocket before heading outdoors.
GeoSafari Jr. Binoculars
The coolest way to look closely at creepy crawlies without actually touching them. These binoculars from RSPB have built-in 3x magnification that helps kids safely observe beetles, worms, snails and every mysterious thing found under a log.
WWF Animal Adoption
Adopt a wild animal in their name. Kids get:
- A cuddly toy (the bit they care about)
- A fact pack and certificate
- Updates about “their” animal
It’s adorable, educational and gives them bragging rights at school.
For the ‘I LOVE wildlife – at a distance’
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. Give the gift of carefully curated paths, walks and perhaps even a cream tea, with a National Trust Membership.
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.
Indoor mushroom growing kit
For the person who loves nature but hates mud. Grow your own mushrooms in as little as 14 days with these kits from Smart Mushrooms. They look beautiful growing on the counter.
For first time adventurers
A Proper Day 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 great wildlife gift for first time adventurers.
A guided foraging experience
For an unforgettable way to learn about edible plants safely, gift someone a guided foraging gift voucher from Totally Wild.
From Birch Sap Syrup to Roasted Dandelion Root Coffee, there’s plenty to be found and foraged.
Clearly the best gifts for wildlife lovers
Our Gift Cards
Give someone a night in the wild with one of our gifts cards. They can choose from log cabins under starry skies, treehouses with dawn chorus alarms, or meadow cabins where owls hoot you to sleep. A gift that’s good for the soul and supports independent owners.
Our Wild Cards
Our wild cards are a pocket deck of daily nature prompts, wisdom, and tiny provocations to reconnect you with the outdoors and 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.
Our Book - Stay Wild
Don’t judge a book by its cover is frankly, nonsense. That’s why books have covers. Our book, 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.
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?
