UNH Today

The holidays are just around the corner and it’s time to get a jump on that gift list — and check it twice. If you’re looking for something unique and not easily found at a big box store, here are some ideas from the creative students, faculty and staff at the University of New Hampshire that are sure to make your friends and family smile — because every day is a great day to be a UNH Wildcat!

FOODIES

‘Tis the season for entertaining. If you’re looking for something special to put on your holiday table — or to bring as a hostess gift — here are a few tasty treats for the foodie on your list.

Smoked UNH Trout: This smoked fish is sure to be the star of your charcuterie board or layered on your next breakfast bagel. The steelhead trout is grown responsibly in UNH’s Aquafort, an offshore aquaculture platform. The trout is smoked by Boston Smoked Fish Co. using only four additional ingredients: brown sugar, tamari, salt and spices. All proceeds from the sales go directly back to research done at UNH’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems.

UNH’s Gingerbread Belgian Beer: Raise a glass to toast the holidays with a handcrafted libation from the UNH Brewery Science Laboratory. The beer, handcrafted in small batches, will be available for a limited time and sold by growler at the lab or on tap at several local restaurants. Available for purchase between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5 and 12, at Barton Hall room 111, while supplies last. Cash or check only. Glass growlers are available for purchase on site. There are also brewery logo coffee tumblers for sale for the coffee lover on your list.

Send Kelp: Celebrate the season with an ale produced at SoMe Brewing Company using UNH sugar kelp. The gose style beer is made with kelp seaweed grown offshore at UNH’s research kelp farm and Aquafort. Toast your favorite UNH wildcat with this popular German-style wheat beer. Supplies are limited.

FAMILY

From sparking the imagination of the littlest on your list to unwrapping the gift of clean beauty, here are a few creative gifts sparked by science and imagination fostered at UNH.

A is for Anthropology: Does your little one like to dig things up? Interested in history or nature? Here is a sweet alphabet book to inspire their inner archaeologist. The book explores all aspects of anthropology from digging, to evolution, stone tools and paleontology. It’s the idea of Samantha McCrane, co-director of UNH’s Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (FAIR) Lab, when she couldn’t find anything similar for her young son. Designed for children ages one to 10, this unique take on the ABC’s is available from Amazon.

Cold Current Kelp: Locally made kelp infused facial oil is the perfect stocking stuffer for the clean beauty lover on your list. Pamper them with KelpGlow, a facial oil made by a women-owned small business, one who is a UNH affiliate faculty in the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering. Committed to sustainability, the bioactive compounds in sugar kelp are said to offer skin-protecting benefits including hydration, brightening and anti-aging. The kelp used in the product is grown in their farm off the coast of Kittery, Maine and also helps improve ocean health.

MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

Prefer something more immersive? Here are a few holiday events to share with a loved one, take a friend or just make you feel more festive.

Seasonal Spectacular: Kick off the season with a holiday concert featuring familiar musical classics to more modern works from UNH’s talented musicians from the symphony orchestra, wind symphony, concert choir, jazz bands, chamber singers, symphonic band and wildcat marching band. A night of music and other surprises. Purchase your tickets for this one day only event Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5:00 p.m. at UNH’s Johnson Theater.

UNH Makers Expo: Come support UNH artisans and get some holiday shopping done. The UNH Makers Expo will have over 50 vendors — all UNH students, faculty and staff. Imagine engineers that knit and jewelry by biologists. Over half of the artisans are students. Grab some friends and get into the spirit by buying something special from a UNH wildcat. The event is free and open to the public. Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, 10 a.m.—4 p.m., Granite State Room, Memorial Union Building, Durham.