The Nature Museum Wish List: Updated Summer 2025

Want to contribute an item or in-kind gift to The Nature Museum?  There are many ways you can support our mission!  Take a look at our wish list below, or get in touch at info@nature-museum.org if you have any questions.  Depending on staff scheduling, we may be able to pick up items at your home at your convenience.

Major Donations (over $1000)

• Accessible Pathways - Naming Opportunity!

• New Pollinator Garden Beds - Naming Opportunity!

• Front Porch Renovation (for accessibility) - Naming Opportunity!

• Museum 1st Floor Renovation - Naming Opportunity!

• Sponsor a Chapman Meadow Interpretive Sign

• Solar Power Generation

• De-carbonize Museum Heating System (heat pumps)

• Museum Wheelchair Lift (~15k)

• Pole tent (for additional event and program space)

• Virtual map/watershed visualization exhibit (~3k)

• Smartboard set up for education (3-5k)

Gifts $500 or more

• Larger transportable projector screen

• Roll laminating machine

  Gifts $250-500

• Portable “Backjack” Chairs for Campers, x24

• Outdoor Benches for the Meadow and Playscape

• Used Thinkpad Laptop for staff (replacement for older machines)

• T490 or T590 or later (2019)

• Makita battery leaf blower (w/ batteries, XBU02PT)

• Makita battery string trimmer (XUX01ZM5)

• Makita battery pole saw attachment (EY402MP)

• 1-2 heavy duty wagons (Example)

• Ergonomic Computer Desk for staff

• Above-ground Fire Pit, transportable

Gifts $100-250

• Solid braid, white, polyester rope (for playscape, ½”), any amount

• Pond Exploration D-nets (several)

• Fixed focus magnifiers for aquatic macro and terrestrial insect specimens

Gifts under $100

• Acrylic Craft Paint

• Pressure Treated 2x4s or 2x6s, any length (for playscape)

• Rubbermaid “Roughneck” Bins for program storage (18gal, or any other size, with lid)

• Kincaid Plant Signs (for Pollinator Garden education, link), any amount

• Label Maker (for Pollinator Garden education)

• Digging/Rock Bar

• Sandbox shovels 

• Headlamps for night programs

• Sports balls for camp (soccer balls, footballs, kickballs)

• Books (see below)

• Kahtoola Microspikes for kids and adults

• Pond/Stream Exploration Equipment

• Small collection nets (eventually, 40 needed)

• Water collection vials (20 needed)

• Mini-observation terrariums for aquatic and terrestrial specimens (20 needed)

• Quality field collection vials (24 needed)

• Rubber coated forceps

• Two 8” forceps

• Two 12” forceps

• Waterproof small journals

Variable

• Replacement Education Pelts

• Deer, Red squirrel, snowshoe hare, chipmunk, moose, flying squirrel, opossum, etc.

• Broader categories:  Mustilids, Lagomorphs, Felidae, Canidae

• Mounted taxidermy also helpful!

Books

• Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray

• Our Big Home: An Earth Poem by Linda Glaser

• Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer

• Grow: Secrets of our DNA by Nichola Davies

• What’s in the Pond? By Anne Hunter

• All About Turtles by Jim Arnosky

• Come out, Muskrats by Jim Arnosky

• Otters Under Water by Jim Arnosky

• Deer at the Brook by Jim Arnosky 

• Crinkleroots series by Jim Arnosky

• Guide to knowing animal habitats

• I was born in a tree and raised by bees

• Nature Almanac

• 25 birds every child should know 

• 25 mammals every child should know

• 25 fish every child should know

• 25 more animals every child should know

• The Mountain that Loved a Bird by Alice McLerran

• Animal Journeys: A Shine A Light Book by Carron Brown & Georgiana Tee

• What on Earth? Trees by Kevin Warwick & Paul Morgan

• If You Want to Be A Butterfly by Muon Thi Van & Andrea Armstrong

• Bug Hotel: a lift-the-flap book of discovery by Clover Robin

No cost (aside from time)

• FHF Building Materials

• FHF material sorting and storage

• Array of extra durable fairy house build examples that can be used for programs and informative displays.