If you’re familiar with the following conversation and one of the speakers has an interest in the outdoors, the gift shop at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center has dozens of items to choose from.
“What do you want for Christmas?”
“I don’t need anything.”
“I didn’t ask what you needed.”
The most popular item is the Natural Events Calendar. Its large format, 14x10 color images of wildlife and scenic vistas are complemented by daily happenings in the outdoor world, from January meteor showers to the December arrival of bald eagles.
The state Department of Conservation education and discovery center in Kirkwood sells a ton of the day-minders this time of year at $9 each. When I stopped by earlier this month, the volunteer at the front desk asked each person who approached the gift shop if they were looking for the calendar. Most people said they were, and some visitors purchased multiple copies.
A special shelf in the shop features options for young children, including books for the tiniest hands, an activities book, the Nature Explorer journal, and the newest addition to the collection, “Strange But True,” a compilation of more than 350 fun facts about Missouri wildlife. The spiral bound, 136-page book is $8.95 and features colorful illustrations from the state’s Xplor Magazine team, and odd listings like the Hercules beetle, which can lift more than 100 times its own weight.
Another unique item is the “Cooking Wild in Missouri” cookbook ($16) that includes more than 100 recipes for preparing native game, fish, wild fruits and nuts. “Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms” is a guide for hunting, identifying and cooking the state’s most common edible mycology.
Other colorful reference books highlight the state’s wildflowers, trees, bushy shrubs, vines, pond plants and more. At least three different decks of playing cards were illustrated with the award-winning photography the conservation department is known for.
A similar great idea for almost anyone on Santa’s good list are the packs of note cards with photos of barred owls, Rocky Mountain elk in Missouri, and the recently reintroduced brown-headed nuthatch. The $8 packet of blank cards and envelopes can keep on giving all year, providing a way to send someone colorful encouragement at any time.
Like a traditional Main Street mom-and-pop store, Powder Valley lets you hold and examine any item before purchase, but there’s also an option for shoppers who can’t make the trip to south St. Louis County. The online store at mdcnatureshop.com has the same items and more.
One thing about the “e-tail” opportunity that I immediately noticed was the exact count of items available. Instead of some disingenuous pop-up window with an alert that says, “only one left at this price,” the state store shows a specific number. There were 12,012 Natural Event Calendars available at last check, but as quickly as they were selling when I stopped by the center, you might need to hurry.
The other reason to rush an online order is the time needed for packing and shipping the gift. With just 10 days remaining until Christmas, a trip to 11715 Cragwold Rd. may be necessary, but there is never a bad time to visit Powder Valley. (The center and gift shop are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the rest of the week, so plan accordingly.)
I did buy something from the gift shop that I didn’t need, and didn’t realize I wanted until I got there. The updated “Paddler’s Guide to Missouri” is only slightly different from the two other editions of the book I already own, but the new all-color photography and updates about Big River and other streams sold me. At $9, it’s a resource everyone in the state with a canoe or kayak should own.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and is the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.