Ten Gifts You Can Give this year that Help New Brunswick’s Wild Nature

Check out CPAWS New Brunswick’s list of gifts that give in more ways than one – they help local businesses and organizations stay afloat, and they support the good works these individuals and companies do to encourage protection of wildlife and nature in New Brunswick.

1. Philip Lee’s book, “Restigouche – The Long Run of the Wild River”, comes highly recommended by our Executive Director, Roberta Clowater, who has said it’s the book she would have liked to have written about the Restigouche, if she were an author. It captures both Philip’s personal canoe journey inspired by the river he loves, and the stories of the many peoples who have called this place home. He doesn’t shy away from illuminating the changes we need to make if we want to conserve this river treasure and live more in harmony with nature. Perfect for your outdoor enthusiast, conservationists and those who want to learn more about the rarely-told stories of this part of New Brunswick. To buy a copy go to Goose Lane Editions, or ask for it at a local bookstore.

2. Gift certificates from Arpin Canoe: Arpin Canoe Restigouche has been a stalwart partner in the Keep Restigouche Wild campaign, and we can vouch for the high quality canoeing experiences they provide. They are a long-time ecotourism pioneer in New Brunswick, still doing it right. To contact Arpin Canoe, click here to learn more about Arpin canoe and contact them to buy a certificate .

3. Gifts from our whale watching partners: We can happily recommend these whale-watching companies out of Saint Andrews on the Bay of Fundy, who all provide excellent tours. They are  small, family-run businesses who are doing valuable work to educate the public about the special wildlife and nature of the Bay.  

• Quoddy Link Marine Whale and Wildlife Cruises – link to website
• Jolly Breeze – link to website
• Island Quest Marine Whale and Wildlife Cruises – link to website

4. National Park Passes: Looking for the perfect gift for the nature-lover in your life? Why not give the gift of a full year of campfires, stargazing, connecting with history and nature, and so much more by giving a ParksCanada 2021 DiscoveryPass. Your purchase contributes towards conservation efforts!  

5. Or purchase a Gift Card from NB Provincial Parks here. 

6. Buy a New Brunswick Wildlife calendar: If you act quickly, you might be able to snap up one of Arielle DeMerchant Nature Photography’s calendars, which showcase her close encounters with all kinds of New Brunswick wildlife. Here’s a link to her Facebook page.

7. Sea Kayaking excursions: CPAWS New Brunswick encourages you to look into a sea kayaking excursion with Seascape Kayak Tours, whose founder, Bruce Smith, is a leader in adventure tourism and takes great care to be respectful and ethical in our marine wilderness. Here’s a link to Seascape Kayak Tours website. 

8. Looking for a gift for a kid in your life? “Henrietta’s Nightlight” is a lovely book about exploring the woods, by Fredericton-based author Alice Whitney. Sold by Chocolate River Publishing or a local bookstore near you!

9. Give the gift of time to the bird lover in your life, plan a trip to participate together in a Christmas bird count this year! Audubon’s 121st Christmas Bird Count takes place between Monday, December 14, 2020 through Tuesday, January 5, 2021, see here for more information and a full interactive map from Birds Canada to find a bird count near you.

10. Consider making a donation to CPAWS NB in someone’s name, donate here. Your donations allow us to do our work to ensure that Canada’s natural spaces are evergreen! 

(Banner photo from Parks Canada.)