Creekside Shop

The Creekside Shop is a great stop any time of year! We’ve brought in some new merchandise with special attention to USA and Iowa-made products! Plan to spend a little time looking around because you’re sure to find something for any nature lover, including yourself!

These beautiful leaves preserved in gold, silver and copper by Still Life Gifts are almost too perfect to be real, but they are!  Created in California,  a special process bonds 24k gold, sterling silver or iridescent copper  to real leaves.  The detail is simply amazing! Some people use them as ornaments but we think they’re so stunning, you’ll want to find a place in your home to show them off all year ’round.

Sharing our pine tree with our beautiful leaves and equally beautiful pieces of jewelry from Wired Woman Jewelry, made right here in Cedar Rapids. Natural materials and inspiration from nature helped this local artisan create beautiful earrings, bracelets, pins, pendants and necklaces…all unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. You really need to come look at these beautiful creations.

Foster your child’s natural curiosity with fun toys and games from our Kids’ Corner! How long since you’ve seen handmade wooden puzzles for kids? Look no further than the Creekside Shop! Lovingly made in Iowa, your little ones will love assembling their favorite critters over and over. And if your kids are a little older, we have fun things for them as well!  Books, games, critter nets, novelties like  Flash Rocks, Owl Pellets, Glux and more are so much fun the kids won’t even realize they’re learning while they play! We have cool new Young Scientists Club kits for junior archaeologists, gardeners and explorers.  Pick up one of our nature-inspired bingo games for your next family game night. We also have great children’s books for toddlers to teens.

We’ve added some winter-themed cookie cutters to our collection – mittens, snowflakes, trees and more. These cutters are made in the USA, have handles perfect for little helping hands and are BIG enough for creative decorating!  Each cutter comes with a cookie and frosting recipe but you know, there are lots of other uses! Cut sandwiches, pizzas or modeling clay, or fill one with your favorite fudge recipe and give as a unique gift (with the recipe, of course!) Fun in the kitchen is another chance for family interaction while learning the MATH of measuring in fractions and weights and the SCIENCE of baking formulas!

Everybody comes in for the Nature Center’s prairie honey from our hives right here on the grounds and our pure maple syrup.  Both are available in a variety of sizes.  And now we have pure maple cream and maple candy (when we can keep it in stock)! And it’s that time of year again…maple syruping season!  We have everything you need to tap your own tree and make your own syrup this year – metal spiles, collection bags, even how-to booklets.  You’ll want to dress the part of syrup-meister with our aprons and t-shirts, too.  And while you’re here, be sure to buy your tickets for the 29th annual Maple Syrup Festival on March 3rd & 4th!

We just couldn’t wait for spring any longer so we had to bring in this year’s crop of heritage seeds from Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah! Just like at the farmers’ market, you’ll want to shop early for the best selection…and we’ve got a GREAT selection this season! We also thought it’d be helpful to have a good supply of how-to booklets to help you out. Learn about building cold frames, starting seeds indoors, gardening in containers, vertical gardening, pest-proofing your garden and more! If you’re looking for some of seeds for your “little home on the prairie”, we’ve got those, too!  And we have just a few gorgeous 2012 Seed Savers Exchange calendars left…now sale priced at $12.25! The photos in this calendar are simply stunning!

One more very special shop item is our cutting board in the shape of the Nature Center’s barn. Hand made from oak or cherry, these boards make handy serving pieces for cheese or breads or they look great just hanging on the wall.  Come and choose your favorite, as no two are exactly alike.  This is a very unique gift for anyone who has ever spent time at the Nature Center.

The shop offers a variety of books ranging from field guides to practical books to get your urban homestead off the ground,t-shirts, note cards and more.  Find fun, seasonal items  and even concessions when you need a refreshing break from hiking and exploring.

The Creekside Shop is located in the Nature Center barn. It is open six days a week for your shopping convenience. Regular hours are:

Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturdays: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm