Some people are not afraid to get their hands dirty this holiday season, doing activities that connect them to nature.

According to the United States Census Bureau, this festive season people are mostly spending their time celebrating, gathering, reflecting, giving thanks, and also doing holiday activities either alone, with friends, or with family members.

A very popular activity is "Christmas Green Workshops." Steinbrink Landscaping and Greenhouses has been open for 25 years, and they have been doing these workshops for nearly 12 years.

In these workshops, people arrange holiday greens (plants) to make their own festive winter planter. People can bring their own empty planter or choose from the store's planters for purchase.

The store offers a variety of greens for people to purchase, as well as festive decorations to add to the planters. People usually bring their own gloves and pruners.

Every year the workshops are full of people, according to Mary Jo Glandt, the retail manager at Steinbrink Landscaping and Greenhouses. She said people in the community are really interested in these workshops.

“I just had a gal that told me ‘it’s going to be six of us'," Grandt said. "This is good for people to come together, we have people that come in from out of town, in-town. We have people that have been in these workshops since the beginning.”

For Kearney Resident, Kelle Hunt, and her best friends, this workshop has become a holiday tradition.

“It's about being with family and being with friends, not necessarily the commercial part of it," Hunt said.

UNK co-workers Rebecca Nelson and Marisa Macy said it’s important to do activities together with the people you care about during this season.

“I think this is a good opportunity to sit back and play with nature for a while and put together something beautiful that will last throughout the season," Nelson said.

Macy added, "the beauty is in the permanence, they [the festive winter planters] don’t last forever, they are here for a short time, and that’s kind of what the holidays are."

Steinbrink Landscaping and Greenhouses plans to continue doing these workshops for years to come.

“I think it's just fun," Grandt said. "It’s fellowship, it’s a community, you get your hands dirty and play with nature, I mean all of that is good for the soul, and it just makes everyone happy."

On December 4, Steinbrink Landscaping and Greenhouses will have their first Winter Market, bringing together 13 local vendors/artisans.