Need 11th hour holiday gifts? Will County forest preserve, Grundy chamber can help

Looking for a unique or last minute gift?

The Forest Preserve District of Will County and Grundy County Chamber of Commerce have some ideas for you.

Three of the forest preserve’s visitor centers – Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville, Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township and Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon – sell fair trade and eco-friendly gifts, according to a news release from the forest preserve.

These centers also have gift cards available that can be used for camping or picnicking permits, program fees and shelter rentals, the release said. Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet also sells gift cards, the release said.

According to release, the three centers also carry the following items.

Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville

• Figurines, necklaces, magnets and knitted turtles that benefit The Turtleman Foundation.

• Amborella Organics lollipops. Each lollipop stick contains seeds for flowers, herbs and edible plants. Just plant the biodegradable sticks in soil once you’ve eaten the lollipop.

Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township

• Items from Advice from Nature and gifts from the fair trade organization Serrv: windchimes, bird feeders, jewelry, planters, candle holders, watering cans, gardening tools, gardening stakes, scarves, aprons and hand and leg warmers.

• Bracelets and necklaces come from Threads of Hope, a nonprofit agency that “benefits children in the Philippines and helps to protect them from exploitation and human trafficking,” the release said.

Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon

• Reusable straws

• Green guides for brides who are planning eco-friendly weddings.

• Hand-carved pens

• Nature-themed bracelets and necklaces

• Nature-themed toys

• Geodes (both cut and uncut)

• Field guides

• Cards

• Walking sticks

• Both sparkling and still drinking water in aluminum bottles from a women-owned, net zero company.

• Three blends of Massachusetts-based Dean’s Beans bird-friendly coffee. Each pound costs $10.

For information, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.

Grundy County Chamber and Dresden Station’s Shop Small Season Gift Certificate program

This program offers gift cards to spend locally with the the chamber’s 500 members in and around Grundy County, according to a news release from the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce.

For every $100 one purchases in chamber gift certificates, the buyer will receive another $25 gift certificate, thanks to Dresden Station’s donation. Bonus gift certificates are limited to two $25 gift certificates. These bonus gift certificates are available only in $25 increments, the release said.

A directory of chamber members are on the directory at grundychamber.com. All funds from a gift certificate go directly to the business, the release said.

To purchase a gift certificate, go to the Morris Chamber office at 909 Liberty St., visit grundychamber.com or call 815-942-0113. The Chamber office is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Christmas Eve.