 Chris & Flynn - Stokewater Meadows, UK Ok – so you’ve read about some Valentine gifts for your nature lover (blog 1) and you’re ready to marry it up with some Valentine personal time (blog 2). But you’re feeling adventurous and want to plan something BIGGER around this holiday. No problem. I’ve created this list – the final of my Valentine’s blog series - from my own “adventures” as a nature-aholic. All of them except #6 are ones that I’ve personally experienced (and #6 is on my to-do list) so I am happy to share from my own personal experience. There are plenty of other ideas that others will have experienced so this list certainly is not exhaustive for you “‘Go-Big’ers” out there. May it inspire you for whatever you plan! Big Idea #1: Go on a donkey walk. Yep – I really mean a donkey walk. While they’re not prevalent globally, I can tell you they are around the UK and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Stokewater Meadows. Chris, the owner, is a delightful man who loves his donkeys, and his donkeys are playful, cheeky and fun. Not to mention you get to enjoy that quintessential charming English countryside along the way. There are plenty of options so go googling to find a donkey walk.  Two juveniles hamming it up at The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth Big Idea #2: Go out for a Badger watch. I know – you really think I’m making these up now. Actually, this is another one from my trip to the Devon countryside in the UK. If you go in the fall or winter like I did, just make sure you pack the right number of layers. And yes, you DO see these cute black and white guys romping across the meadow in front of the hide. Just read this great article in The Guardian for some insights. Big Idea #3: Visit a donkey sanctuary – it’s sure to be one of the most entertaining things your beloved can do. You’ll see the many pictures featured on my products to prove just how entertaining. My favorite is The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, UK for the beautiful trails, beauty, friendliness of the staff, museum and oh so many donkeys! Big Idea #4: Plan a trip to Costa Rica. (https://www.visitcostarica.com/en) If your Valentine is a nature lover, this is bound to be on their bucket list. From the preserves where one can spot that famous and adorable sloth, to the famous colorful birds (remember the Toucan from the Fruit Loops box?), not to mention the broadest variety of Hummingbirds you’ll probably see anywhere, to the amazing beauty of the countryside, and seeing some of the largest turtles in the world lay eggs under the moonlight, to the tiny hatchlings heading to sea, it’s hard to top Costa Rica for natural diversity. Big Idea #5: Go visit one of the U.S. National Parks. No matter which park you choose, there is something that nature lovers will love. Grizzlies, elk, moose, bison and mule deer at Yosemite and Grand Tetons, gorgeous red topography in the Utah parks, Mountain goats and edge-of-the-earth beauty in Glacier National Park. As many as I've visited, I still have more on my list to experience! Big Idea #6: Alaska. Yes it’s a category unto itself. Whether it’s heading to the national park, taking a cruise focused on whales, glaciers, or other themes, or joining the bears to catch their salmon (just kidding – please just watch them from a distance), get researching because there is a LOT to plan! Because it can be overwhelming, you can follow this link to Nature and Wildlife experiences on Trip Advisor for some ideas.  A Spinner dolphin swims by us for a closer look - Kona, Hawaii  An ASL patiently waits for us to play again - Western Australia Big Idea #7: Swim (respectfully only) with Spinner dolphins and Giant Manta Rays on the Big Island of Hawaii. Yes, just off Kona, you can have these lovely experiences. Please do your research and always be respectful of these gentle creatures. This company is one that I use because my experience is that they are highly respectful of all of the animals. There are other operators as well so do your research. You should be comfortable snorkeling – don’t learn while you’re doing this experience - you will spend too much time gulping sea water to enjoy yourself and miss the beautiful experience altogether. I've seen it happy so many times. Not to mention your stomach will *not* be happy processing that salt water. Trust me. Big Idea #8: Swim with an Australia sea lion (ASL). Notice I didn’t say California sea lion (CSL). There’s no swimming with CSL’s in the U.S. and they are a bit unpredictable (not that any wild animal isn’t). I’ve had them leap over my kayak while originally quite some distance away. There are 1 or 2 places elsewhere that allow it, but I prefer to exercise caution. I worked in marine mammal rehab with CSL’s and I know what they’re capable of. Enjoy watching these beautiful pinnipeds from the shore. If you fancy it, there are operators in Australia who will take you out safely to swim with the ASLs. But as with any wild animal, again always exercise caution. I swam with them in fairly shallow water and found that the one fellow passenger on my boat most comfortable swimming underwater was the most popular one with the ASLs. All of the them were following him - I think they thought they’d found a new playmate. I LOVED watching the underwater fun!  A gentle Whale Shark glides by me - Exmouth, Western Australia Big Idea #9: Swim with a whale shark. Yes, they *are* the largest shark. However, they’re docile and in fact usually are quite afraid of us. (Picture us humans frightened of a tiny bee and you can appreciate their perspective). They in fact don’t even have teeth to eat fish – they have tiny teeth and instead eat plankton. I found operators in Exmouth, Western Australia who treat them with the greatest respect. Please be sure to find an operator who is highly respectful of these gorgeous big fish. Big Idea #10: GO BIG. Yep – I do mean big. Whale big. Plan a trip to meet the Baja Gray whales, kayak with the Humpbacks in Maui, or swim with the whales! There are very few places in the world you can do these activities, and only certain times of the year, so plan early and well. Our friend Jeff Pantukhoff of the Whaleman Foundation leads trips to meet the Gray whales in Baja and there are several good tour operators to kayak with Humpbacks in Maui. Here’s a link to our friends at Conscious Breath Adventures where we swim with the Humpbacks (over the U.S. winter), and Eye to Eye Marine Encounters for John Rumney and his lovely family to swim with the Dwarf Minke Whales (over the U.S. summer) out on the Australia Great Barrier Reef. I’ve saved these trips for last because they are truly the most treasured experiences of my life. And I hope to keep returning for many years to come!  A treasured moment - calf and mother Humpback swim by - Silver Bank, D.R., Atlantic Ocean While I’ll leave the “experience” gifts to you, you’ll certainly see their inspiration in some of my products and photographs in my Collections and storefronts.
Whatever you do, wherever you go, here’s wishing you and your special Nature Lover someone a wonderful Valentine’s Day….
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 I’ve created some special products this year just for Valentine’s Day, but I’ll come back to that in a second. For every special occasion, I’m a big fan of giving the gift of time. Valentine’s Day is no exception. We get so busy in our lives that it’s easy just to go to dinner somewhere and call it a night. What takes more time is to plan something unique for your loved one – something that is specific to their interests and involves quality time together. I’ve put together a Gifts list of just such “experience” ideas. You can be a thoughtful partner this Valentine’s Day and every day - planning out special days or outings for the nature/animal/bird lover in your life. I’ll cover an example list of such activities in part 2 of this Valentine’s Day blog. So back to the new products this Valentine’s Day…. I’ve created part 1 of this blog with a Valentine Gifts list of ideas for your nature, bird, or animal-loving Valentine. If you fancy a physical gift reflective of their interests, there are a variety of subjects across landscapes, animals, and birds. So while I have a pillow that features a zebra, you can also create a pillow of a garden, a particular bird, or many other animals. Herein a list of gifts to get you started: Idea #1 – A heart-shaped ceramic ornament they can hang anywhere and all year long  Idea #2 – A custom luggage tag or nature-themed neck tie to remind them of you wherever they go  Idea #3 – For the ladies, a beautiful scarf to enwrap her in a picture from nature.  Idea #4 – To give them a different kind of ‘warm’, a flask to carry their favorite libation  Idea #5 - To protect your beloved’s treasured electronics while taking along a bit of nature: a cellphone, ipad, laptop cover or sleeve  Idea #6 – To keep the treasured jewelry you’ve already gotten them: a wooden jewelry box  Idea #7 – To light up their world: a candle or lamp – hanging, lamp shade or table/desk lamp  Idea #8 – A custom wine-carrying box to surround their favorite bottle of wine  Idea #9 – A big floor pillow you both can use to snuggle up together and watch your favorite videos  Idea #10 – The “coziest” gift of all: a nice warm blanket for snuggling up together – this Valentine’s day and many more to come! You can get Valentine cards and more ideas, such as shot glasses, BBQ aprons and teapots, in my Collections and Storefronts, below: The next step is to add to your physical gift an actual ticket or a customized handwritten or printed “representation” of an escape or nature activity/experience you’ll gift them with for Valentine’s Day. I’ll hook you up with those ideas in part 2 of this Valentine’s Day blog. Until then, remember: "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." - John Muir Happy shopping and Happy Valentine's Day!
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January 2023
AuthorPamela, Eyes4Nature's proprietor, enjoying life out in the field among the animals and the peacefulness of nature. Categories
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