Nature Craft & Gift Making Workshop for the Holidays

(GMCG) will host a festive and fun afternoon of nature crafts and gift making for the holidays on December 9 from 2-4 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. at Blue Heron House located at 236 Huntress Bridge Road in Effingham. Participants will create homemade gifts for the holidays using natural and up cycled materials at this event which is suitable for kids and families, too! Learn new crafts and get creative with activities like: decorating an up cycled shopping bag or purse; creating felted ornaments and nature ornaments; upcycling glass jars into stained glass candle holders; painting watercolor bookmarks; and making beeswax wraps. The workshop is $20 per adult or $10 per child to cover the cost of materials, and participants must preregister by contacting info@gmcg.org as space is limited. 

This program is part of GMCG’s Less Plastic Initiative and will also an informational display with practical ideas, DIY recipes to take home, and alternative suggestions for ways to use less plastic in our lives. Since 2016, GMCG has partnered with organizations, community members, educators and students to promote Less Plastic Day which occurs on December 19 each year. GMCG also began its research on microplastics in the Ossipee Watershed after the discovery of microplastics in Ossipee Lake in the summer of 2019 while sampling for cyanobacteria.  Since then, GMCG’s research efforts on microplastics has expanded, using state of the art technology to sample lake water, plankton, groundwater and soils. The program has also expanded to include local schools and the publishing of the “Less Plastic Guide” for educators, which includes lesson plans and corresponding videos that are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for grades K-8. For more information, visit www.gmcg.org.