35 Gifts for Naturalists That Are Out of This World

If They Like Creepy Crawlies: Praying Mantis Paperweight

Made with a real praying mantis encased in resin, this paperweight can serve as everything from an office supply to an educational tool. The block is smooth and bubble-free; the praying mantis is perfectly preserved with all wings, mandibles and antennae intact.

As a bonus, if you like this product, the manufacturer also sells similar paperweights with beetles, wasps, spiders, scorpions and cicadas. You could start a whole new hobby for your favorite collector!

For the Newbie Naturalist: The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs

Filled with tips, tricks and techniques, The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs is the ultimate how-to guide for someone who wants to explore the natural world. Readers can learn how to track animals, find water, identify plants, predict the weather and navigate by the direction of the sun and stars.

There are funny jokes; there are helpful images and diagrams. The author has been backpacking all across the globe, so it’s equals parts an atlas and a nature guide. Naturalists of all ages and interest areas should love it!

Evolution of the Mind: The Thinker Ape Skull Bronze Statue

The Thinker is one of the most famous sculptures of all time, and it’s been recreated to perfection in this bronze statue. There’s just one twist: The man has been replaced with an ape, and the thing that he’s contemplating is a human skull.

It’s a powerful, thought-provoking image, and since it’s made with heavy stone bonded to resin and finished with bronze and ivory, it’s a handsome one as well. Any philosopher or educator would love to have this statue on their bookshelf.

When They’re Filled With Wanderlust: Outdoor Adventure Style Waterproof Vinyl Stickers

Protected by a thick, glossy finish, these stickers can be applied everywhere from laptops and water bottles to kayaks and camping vans. Each one has an “adventure” theme, so depending on the stack that you get in your 50-piece collection, your decoration options can include everything from grizzly bears in the mountains to surfers riding intense waves.

More than anything, these stickers will make you want to go out and live, so they’ll be great for naturalists who love soaking up everything that the natural world has to offer.

To Cultivate a New Passion: Succulent and Cactus Starter Kit

Perfect for young naturalists, this DIY planting kit offers everything that they’ll need to grow their first ficus. It has seeds, pots, markers, drip trays, soil, fertilizer and more. They won’t have to make a single trip to a greenhouse! Even better, since they’ll be growing succulents, they won’t need a green thumb to see results.

These resilient little plants can thrive in all kinds of conditions, so as long as your gift recipient follows along with the easy-to-read instructions, they’ll have fresh aloe and agave in no time.

For Chai Lovers: Half Moon Teapot With Removable Infuser

Glass teapots are usually more fashionable than functional, but this one has been constructed with sturdy borosilicate materials, and it features a half-moon design that offers the best of both worlds when it comes to beauty and stability.

There’s also a stainless steel mesh infuser if your gift recipient likes experimenting with different brews and flavors. They can steep loose leafs; they can watch tea flowers bloom through the glass.

The possibilities are endless with a versatile gift like this one.

To Impart a Message: The Earth Does Not Belong To Us T-Shirt

“The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth.” If you know someone who would agree with this sentiment, you’ve just found the perfect t-shirt to add to their wardrobe. It’s available in multiple cuts, colors and sizes, so it’s suitable for every kind of naturalist, and its print features a gorgeous piece of artwork that combines a yin-yang symbol with natural elements like stars and mountains.

It’s very much a statement piece disguised as a novelty tee.

To Get a Little Goofy: FACE Plant Novelty Planter

They might have a thousand planters around the house, but they don’t have this one. FACE Plant is an utterly unique gift that will allow them to turn a planter into a person. The plant itself will be the hair, and the white ceramic square will be the face.

A dry-erase marker is included, so they can add eyes, freckles, moles and mustaches at will. There’s even a nose bridge if they want to deck out their little dude with some glasses or shades! This is the kind of gift that will amuse them for a long time, so if you want to wrap up something very memorable, consider FACE Plant.

For a Lovely Morning Chorus: Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song is the ultimate gift for birdwatchers. Not only does it chronicle hundreds of bird species, but it also comes with a built-in audio feature that can play their calls.

As your naturalist probably knows already, it can be difficult to spot certain types of rare, elusive birds, but their songs will always give them away. This guidebook makes sure that your buddy will never miss a loggerhead shrike or a light-footed clapper rail.

To Spoil Them a Little: Fleur D’Extase Organic Bath Bombs

Perfect for a long, relaxing soak after a tough day at work, these bath bombs work their magic through a combination of fragrance and fizz. There are nine in total, and their scents range from deep, earthy sandalwoods to sweet coconuts and lemongrasses.

They’re made with all-natural oils and plant extracts, so there are no dyes, perfumes or parabens to ruin them, and they come in lovely little butterfly boxes that are already individualized for gift-giving.

Send a loved one to a luxurious spa with absolutely no travel required!

When They Can’t Wait for Pumpkin Spice Lattes: LED Lighted Maple Tree

Who says that autumn only comes once per year? With this maple tree, your gift recipient can enjoy fuzzy sweaters and oversized cocoa mugs all year long. The leaves are a soft orange-yellow blend, and they’ve been painted with realistic details that could be mistaken for the real thing from a distance.

The LED lights peek out from under the trees with a gentle and welcoming glow. To power them up, just plug the tree into an electric outlet. It can be fall every day of the year with a gift like this!

For the Herbal Tea Addict: Teabloom All-Beverage Bamboo Travel Tumbler

Made with beautiful, sustainable bamboo, this travel tumbler is the only one that they’ll ever need. It can be used as a water bottle, coffee thermos, tea infuser, smoothie shaker and more! Its secret lies in its combination filter/strainer that’s perfect for everything from cold-brewing coffee to infusing flavors in fruit juices and bubble teas.

As a bonus, since everything is made with reusable, earth-friendly materials, your gift recipient can strike a blow to “disposable cup culture” every time that they reach for this tumbler instead.

When They Love Planets Just as Much as Plants: Solar System Bracelet

Depending on their areas of study, naturalists might be just as interested in stars and constellations as redwoods and wildflowers. This bracelet will let them express their passion for astronomy in a fun and fashionable way! There are eight beads to represent the eight planets of our galaxy, and they’re easily identified by color, size and placement order.

Mars is red agate; Venus is gold foil; Neptune is lapis lazuli. Glittery black lava stones serve as the inky vastness of a universe dotted with stars. If they like gazing into the night sky and dreaming about what lies beyond, this is definitely the gift for them.

A Garden in a Storm: Double Layer Folding Inverted Butterfly Umbrella

Butterflies have created many naturalists over the years, and if your friend is one of them, they’re sure to love this one-of-a-kind gift. It looks like a regular black umbrella on the top side, but on the bottom, it’s a blue sky filled with dozens of colorful, fluttering butterflies.

Your friend might even be able to name the various species! Other benefits of the umbrella include an inverted inside-out design and a C-shaped handle for ease of use when walking, texting or carrying bags in the rain.

For the Naturalist With an Office Job: Indoor LED Planter With Easy-Grow Accessories Kit

They might like dancing in the rain and scrunching their toes in the dirt, but naturalists can’t spend every moment outdoors. Fortunately, this planter can bring some greenery into even the coldest and most sterile of spaces.

It has a sleek, stylish design that won’t be out of place in homes, offices, libraries, labs and dorms, but its tray can hold everything from soil-based succulents to water-based herbs, and it’s equipped with a dimmable LED light to help them grow.

In other words, it’s both fashionable and functional for the modern living space, so it’ll make an amazing gift for the naturalist who feels a strong connection with the earth.

For the Avid Reader: Agate Stone Bookends

Is their geode collection threatening to spill out of their room and become a rock slide? If so, you’ve just found another great piece to add to their collection. These gigantic bookends are made from real agate, so their outer rims have rough, natural crusts while their inner surfaces showcase their gorgeous natural layers.

You can order them in a natural brown or a dyed teal for extra flair. Each one is just as unique as the person ordering them, so they’ll be a one-of-a-kind gift for a one-of-a-kind recipient!

For the Wandering Soul: How to Make Hand-Drawn Maps: A Creative Guide with Tips

You don’t have to be a cartographer to enjoy the art of map making, and with How to Make Hand-Drawn Maps, you don’t have to be an artist, either. It has easy-to-follow instructions with all kinds of grids and templates that will break down the essential elements of a map.

You’ll learn how to scale; you’ll learn how to create legends and symbols. In addition to navigational maps, the book also covers fun and creative topics like family trees, palmistry charts and treasure maps.

It’s basically a dozen guides in one!

Hard Science Meets Soft Beauty: Boutique Academia DNA Earrings

These earrings take twirling stands of DNA and transport them from a textbook to the human body. Not only are they made with a gorgeous silver metal, but they’re anatomically correct with both major and minor grooves.

They’ll make a great gift for a biology major since they won’t offend with any inaccuracy or artistic license! If you know someone who’s nerdy for science and unashamed to show it, these are earrings that can bring STEM studies to life.

When It’s Time for an Intervention: It’s Not Hoarding If It’s Plants Ceramic Coffee Mug

Colorfully funky, this coffee mug will be perfect for a botanist or horticulturist. It might also speak to a home gardener who really loves their roses. The text says “It’s Not Hoarding If It’s Plants,” and the pattern is comprised of fun, colorful cartoons of various plants.

Despite its novel design, it’s also a fully functional mug, so they can use it for all of their favorite coffees and cocoas. They could also use it as a planter for their favorite little cacti!

For the Hobbyist: 50-Piece Leather Working Toolkit

Maybe they’re experienced with leather working. Maybe it’s always been on their bucket list, but they’ve never actually tried it. Either way, this 50-piece kit will offer the tools that they need for shoes, seals, jackets, bags and more.

It includes everything from groovers and burnishers to awls and scissors, and it can all be tucked into a high-quality carbon toolbox when not in use. Naturalists should love the chance to make and modify their own goods by hand!

For the Artistic Soul: Complicated Spiders: Anti-Stress Coloring Book

Spiders are some of the most misunderstood creatures on the planet, so if you’re looking for a gift that actually celebrates their beauty and biodiversity, consider this coloring book. Complicated Spiders is both visually stunning and artistically complex, so your favorite bug lover can spend hours shading in dots, swirls, sunbursts, mandalas and other patterns.

Some of the critters are even printed on black backgrounds to make their colors really stand out!

To Elevate Their Home Design: World Map Hanging Wall Art Tapestry

Available in multiple sizes and colors, these tapestries will be beautiful home decorations for anyone who loves or aspires to travel. One is a highly-detailed map with accurate, up-to-date labels of the world’s countries; another is a gorgeously abstract watercolor with swirls instead of words; another still has colorful, kid-friendly blocks for all of the world’s countries.

Your gift recipient could hang them in an office, library, living room or playroom. Since their sizes range from 50 x 60 inches to 80 x 60 inches, they can function as everything from window dressings to central decorations for a feature wall!

When They Aren’t Afraid of a Sting: The Beekeeper’s Bible

Despite the name, they don’t have to work as a beekeeper to enjoy this gift. Combining elements of a cookbook, handbook, history book and how-to guide, The Beekeeper’s Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes and Other Home Uses is a comprehensive almanac to one of nature’s sweetest hobbies.

They’ll learn about everything from starting their own hives to creating their own soaps and candles. There are even honey-filled recipes if they like to experiment in the kitchen! This is a gift that might just come back to you in the form of yummy baked goods.

For a Throwback Look: Psychoactive Plants Vintage Art Prints

Printed on sepia-toned paper with muted colors and careful diagrams, these illustrations could be right out of a 1840s textbook on botany. Look a little closer, however, and you’ll realize that these aren’t ordinary plants.

They’re psychoactive! From popular drugs like opium and cannabis to lesser-known hallucinogenics like poppy and wormwood, all of these art prints depict things that you wouldn’t want the cops to find in your nightstand.

They’re just so cleverly disguised that even your mom would look at them and say, “Oh, how pretty.”

Singing Lobsters Not Included: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the World Under the Sea

Ocean Anatomy is a guidebook like you’ve never seen before. Filled with colorful, hand-drawn illustrations and scribbled fonts that are designed to mimic a personal journal, it’s more like a friendly companion for your travels rather than a dry textbook that you’d read for school.

It’s brimming with information, too: Readers will learn everything from the science behind rogue waves to the anatomy of blue whales. While it might be a bit too simple for, say, marine biologists, it’ll be perfect for nature lovers who have always wanted to learn more about the ocean.

They can explore all of the complexities of a new landscape in a fun, accessible way!

For the King: Butterfly Hand-Painted Stained Glass Suncatcher

Butterflies are a popular theme for suncatchers, but this one stands out from the crowd for its realistic design and beautiful, hand-painted details. It looks like a genuine Danaus plexippus since its wings and body have been enriched with the proper colors and patterns.

Hang it from a window to let the light shine through the stained glass; stick it on a desk, door or locker as a fun decorative element. Entomologists will love this one!

To Get a Little Tipsy: The Drunken Botanist

The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks is exactly what it sounds like: a guide to all of the flowers, fruits and fungi that can be hiding in college keggers. Some of them might be familiar to you, including rice wine and barley scotch, but others will be so bizarre or obscure that you’d never dream of them in a million years.

Thankfully, The Drunken Botanist is here to offer history lessons mixed with jokes, stories, recipes and gardening tips!

Hoo Hoo: Wooden Jigsaw Owl Puzzle

Anyone can buy a cheap puzzle made from mass-printed card stock, but this one is different. It’s printed on real wood, and its pieces have been laser-cut to ensure a uniform smoothness. Most importantly, it’s gorgeous; it depicts an owl with a coat of many colors, and the individual pieces are shaped like leaves, ferns, acorns, raccoons and other woodland creatures.

It’s basically abstract act designed as a puzzle. When the other person is done putting it together, they can stick it right on their wall as a decorative item. It’s too beautiful to go to waste!

To Give Them Gentle Music: Glass Hanging Jellyfish Wind Chimes

Another great gift for oceanographers, this jellyfish wind chime has a clever design where the body is the base and the tentacles are the dangling chimes. Everything is made of glass, so it has a delicate, ethereal kind of charm, but it’s also quite sturdy for indoor and outdoor use.

It has exactly the kind of resiliency that you’d expect from a species that dates back thousands of years. To celebrate your friend’s love of marine life, get them a wind chime with power and purpose!

For the Foul-Mouthed Flower Child: I F*cking Love It Out Here Woods Crew Socks

Maybe he’s an avid backpacker. Maybe she’s a free spirit who’s always on the edge of saying “screw it” and living in a camper in the woods for the rest of her life. Either way, your nature-loving naturalist will get a kick out of these crew socks.

They’re decorated with little green trees like the legend on a map, and they declare, “I F*cking Love It Out Here.” They’re ready to be worn with any sneakers or hiking boots!

To Record Their Hopes and Dreams: Vintage Dark Green PU Leather Cover Loose Leaf Notebook

This notebook offers loose-leaf papers wrapped in leather and bound with a corded string that ends in a silver leaf pendant. It’s instantly recognizable as a rustic, naturalistic journal, but it could also be used for sketching, mapping or list making.

It could even become a portable scrapbook! There are three metal binder rings inside, so it’s easy to add or remove pages. The owner of this notebook can take it anywhere and use it for anything, so it’ll be ideal for all kinds of travel- and hobby-related activities.

A Modern and Technical Flower Arranging: Color Changing Plug-in LED Mushroom Lamp

If they like to read a few chapters of The Origin of Species before bed, this lamp can be a source of soft, gentle light. It will automatically brighten or dim based on the existing light levels in the room, and its bulbs will periodically shift between different pastel colors.

For this reason, it also makes a great nightlight for nurseries and children’s rooms! There are three “mushrooms” and three “leaves,” and they can be arranged in the base as desired. Each one has the same illumination strength, so it’s just a matter of making them look soft and pretty as they sit on a bedside table!

To Light Up the Night Sky: Aurora Borealis Wall Art

Stretching across the wall at a massive 24 x 48 inches, this artwork will be an absolute showstopper. Not only does it depict the Northern Lights in all of their colorful glory, but it’s also printed on raised canvas rather than flimsy paper, so it’ll function as a true art piece rather than a cheap poster.

Even if you can’t afford to send your favorite person on a trip to see the real thing, this gift will make them feel like they’re standing at the edge of a snowy lake and gazing at the wonders of the universe.

For Cuddles: Darwin Little Thinker Plush

Charles Darwin is the granddaddy of naturalists, but you’ve probably never seen him looking this cute! He’s part of the “Little Thinkers” collection by the Unemployed Philosophers Guild, and he stands 11 inches tall with soft, cuddly materials belying his grumpy little face.

He can be propped up on a shelf or waved around during lectures in libraries and classrooms. He’s ready to educate the masses!