Darwin & Co. is the museum store for Edelman Fossil Park & Museum - it’s one of the first places you’ll see when you visit and likely the last place you’ll stop on your way out! The museum discusses a wide variety of topics - from paleontology to biodiversity, astrophysics to climate change - and the store must make sure it has something for everyone, accounting for what sparks anyone’s interest or piques their curiosity.

In addition to making sure all of these areas of interest are addressed, the mission of EFM remains core in our values when selecting merchandise: Discover the Past, Protect the Future. This means there must be a strong presence of education, learning, or discovery in the items in the store but with the health of the planet at the forefront. In order to do that, keeping in mind what the items are made out of and how they will impact the planet afterwards is pivotal.

Minimizing Plastic

Did you know that plastic toys in the store only account for 5% of our total inventory? Plastic toys are an inevitable part of a museum that has children as a core audience, but part of our job is to showcase other ways to incorporate learning and play using other materials.

FSC Certified Goods

FSC, or the Forest Stewardship Council, is an organization that standardizes and regulates paper products with sustainability in mind. Setting standards that must be met by everyone included in the product’s supply chain helps to responsibly manage forests and prevent deforestation. Plus, those items will biodegrade over time and not be left in a landfill. Be on the lookout for the FSC mark the next time you’re in the store!

Fair Trade and Upcycled Goods

Certified Fair Trade items are products that prioritize production in communities through equitable partnerships and sustainable long-term practices. Whenever possible, Fair Trade organizations utilize resources that can be recycled, reused, or regenerated to help advance environmental stewardship. When it comes to custom items in the store, we’ve tried to prioritize using recycled materials or sustainable production practices wherever we can.

Having these tenets at the core of our approach to curating the museum store helps us bring our mission to life in all the fun and educational products we offer. This holiday season, we’ve done the work for you by crafting a gift guide for an all-ages EFM experience!

Gifts for Dino Lovers:

Big and small, we have all you need for your favorite dino fan!

EFM Pteranodon Puzzle: Made in the USA from 100% recycled paper.

EFM Dryptosaurus Wooden Pin: Made in the USA from recycled wood pulp.

EFM South Jersey: A Hotbed of Dino Action T-Shirt: Partially made from recycled

water bottles.

EUGY Mosa Wood Puzzle: Look for the FSC mark

Blue T-Rex: The fiercest dino of them all.

Earth on the Brain:

From Fair Trade to climate change and sustainability, these items will help center your commitment to the planet!

An Almost Zero Waste Life: Learn how to reduce waste in all facets of life with this book made from recycled paper!

Ankole Guitar Horn Pick: Skip the plastic and embrace the tones of Ankole horn, sustainably sourced from Uganda, where no two pieces are the same.

Forest House Felt Birdhouse: Cultivate a cozy environment for birds with this Fair Trade birdhouse made in Nepal!

Rosemary Garden Jar: Grow your own herbs and reduce your food waste with this reusable jar grow kit.

Upcycled Triple Sari Headbands: Style your hair multiple ways with this upcycled sari headband, where no two are the same!

Nature Lovers:

Embrace the environment around you by grabbing gifts focused on tuning in the outside world!

PocketScope: Explore the tiniest pieces of nature with this pocket-sized microscope.

Entangled Life: Dive into the fascinating world of fungi.

Butterfly Seed Pop: Cultivate your own pollinator garden and attract the butterflies come in spring!

Retro Insect Zip Pouch: Keep all your nature journal tools in this recycled canvas bug bag!

Nature Studies Magnetic Dress-Up Kit: Change up your outfits inspired by animals and the forest.

For more ideas for the holidays, check out our gift guide or explore our entire online store!