We started using nature journaling because of the Charlotte Mason way. Cut or break your stick so that it is longer than the distance between the two holes. It provides simple nature study prompts for thirteen different nature friends every season of the year. I created a nature journaling program that’s will help you have deeper insights about nature and improve your memory. I’ve learned that it really doesn’t matter how good you are at sketcher. I became curious about various things that were happening. Nature journaling can really give your Nature expeditions a huge boost. Nature journaling gives you the benefits of both journaling and nature, making it a powerful tool full of excellent benefits! If this is a new practice for your family, start with a very relaxed altitude. Then start on page two and go from there. If you notice something that you otherwise would not have seen, remember it more vividly, or start asking yourself more interesting questions about what you observe than the journaling is a success. Another way to get going and keep your momentum is to join (or start) a nature journal club. That just leads to journal block. The lavender seems more vibrant this year compared to previous years. Now that you have your dedicated nature journal ready to go, how can you now use it to get outside and explore? I sketch because it helps me look closer. Here are a few thoughts to help you get started and keep at it. We started taking nature walks. I’m always amazed when people can replicate a visual scene like that. It is the first entry on the first page that starts the cascade. When you start to make a batch of pancakes, the first one off the griddle invariably are a mess. Before submitting a contribution we recommend you review the essential information for Authors which includes details about the editorial … Lists of birds, insects, leaves, or flowers you have observed Record sit spot seasons – sit in the same spot at least once during each season. You’ll notice that some words are very descriptive and sensory based while other words are much more vague and abstract. even if you don’t yet know the answer. The majority of nature journals are compiled using pads or books of plain white paper. As long as you keep the focus on nature then you’re doing great. Together you keep the habit going and progress much more quickly. At some point you will feel inspired to fill in that first page but untill then you have a lot of journaling to do. Eventually you’ll have all your observations and experiences in one place so you can look back and see all you’ve learned. You can also hang notices in local art supply stores, nature centers, or museums. And if you’d like to work with me one-on-one… just send me a message and tell me what you’d like to work on together… and I’ll get you all the details! Luckily I had an easy tool to help me quickly unravel the mysteries of local forests, fields & wildlife hotspots. Here are ways to use your nature journal: Make mark or leaf rubbings Sketch butterflies, bugs, plant species, or bird sightings. Next, use note card rings, ribbon, twine, or yarn to bind the nature journal together. One day a week they drew their finds into a Nature Journal. Nature is the world’s foremost international weekly scientific journal and is the flagship journal for Nature Research. Your email address will not be published. Jun 1, 2019 - Welcome to my nature study boards! These groups meet throughout the country and if there isn’t one nearby, you can start your own. A portable potluck lunch is a great way to bring people together. This could be as simple as a standard coiled notebook with blank or lined paper. ​When you draw a map… it helps you look more closely. There are a lot of reasons to keep a journal! You want to get good at paying attention to what kind of language you use. Some may not be. It’s a way to document what you see in nature. If you’re looking for the easiest way to start really honing your outdoor instincts and nature observation skills… try the Nature Memory Journal Program. There are no rules when it comes to nature journals! Just as you are more likely to keep to a diet or exercise program if you do it with a partner, having a journaling support group keeps you going. The most important thing is to do what works for you. I add on another step that includes writing down a written description of visual characteristics before trying to picture it in my mind. Having a regular schedule will allow members to put the events on their calendar in advance. Art is a side effect of the process of journaling. First of all, recording observations and thoughts in a book is a good way to get to know your natural surroundings. Your email address will not be published. Filed Under: Articles, Naturalist Training, Nature Connection. Try writing a poem about your walks Beginner’s Guide to Nature Journaling: 12 Tips For a Better Nature Journal, How To Learn About Nature With Storytelling And Documenting Observations, Nature Awareness Journey: How The Forest Can Change Your Life, Review of The Kamana Naturalist Training Program, Beginner’s Guide: The Art of Mentoring With Nature, The 21 Things That Nature Wants To Teach You. Make his a part of your families’ practice or home-schooling curriculum. Questions are powerful! Are kids still going to parks on field trips? Focus on seeing something new, not making a pretty drawing but get yourself drawing none the less. Do not expect the first sketch to come out the way you expect. I’m not an artist (as friends and family will confirm), but I’ve been journaling to enhance my nature experiences for years with great success. Does a nature journal need to be artistic? I like to say that the name of the game here is description. It tells me they weren’t really paying attention. Yep, it’s my good old nature journal! Fold the card in half and cut it to the same size as your paper. How to Keep a Nature Journal of Your Own. To get started … You should just do whatever seems easy, fun and exciting. It’s often in writing about the sensory specific details of an experience that you’ll have the really big aha moments about things like animal behaviour, or cycles of seasons and weather. Description. Art and Nature One of my favorite parts about keeping a nature journal is that I get an excuse to practice drawing and painting on a regular basis. What if everyone on your family had a journaling kit and you made sketching and exploring in nature a part of the way your family connects with the world? Here are a few other ideas to help get your creative juices flowing: Leaf or tree rubbings Measurements/charts for weather, symmetry in nature or for recording birds, insects or flowers you find. You can think of a nature journal as a scrapbook of the outdoors. So why bother if I’m not a good sketcher? Putting the image into words helps me create the mental image so I can recreate it on paper, so maybe it will work for you too. Let me just start out by saying I am not a great sketcher… Actually I’m a pretty horrible sketcher, but I still do it sometimes. If you stopped then and said “I can’t do this, making pancakes is too hard” you would never have a satisfactory breakfast. If you’re seeking age-old tools & techniques to go deep with knowledge of plants, trees, birds and energize your natural instincts… you’ve come to the right place! It is just dead weight in the backpack. You can write or draw or paint or do all three. There really are so many different ways to do a nature journal. To break in the first page, open your journal at the trailhead and write the location, date and weather. Sometimes I read other people’s journals and it says nothing about what was happening in nature. Click here to get a sneak peak at my instincts mentoring program. You can follow my blog to see my weekly nature study challenges and to subscribe to my free monthly newsletter. A nature journal might include sketches of animals and insects, pressed flowers, notes copied from a book, nature-inspired poetry, or photographs. The trick is to dive in but that is not as easy as it sounds. Journal about nature findings. Repeat these steps a few times until your mental image is very clear. So too with drawing. WHY KEEP A JOURNAL? Step 4: Record your observations. Even if my sketches might look terrible to most people… I know the process helps me notice things I wouldn’t otherwise notice. There are no rules. Lined paper generally interferes with sketching, … Notice that each sentence evokes vivid images and mental pictures. It’s a simple & effective tool to help naturalists improve their observation skills and see big picture ecological patterns more clearly. Here’s my advice. My own nature journal started with basic notes, such as: Which experiences engaged multiple senses. No nature journal is complete without great questions. Some questions are easy to answer with field guides and a bit of investigation, while other questions might never be solved. I know from experience that a lot of beginners worry about whether their journals are good enough. You need time to reconnect your eye, brain, and hand. Just this is often enough to get more material to follow. This also helps break it in and make it yours. Do not focus on trying to make pretty pictures. It if full of possibilities and potential energy. I’m the author of multiple courses & ebooks about bird language, naturalist training, observation skills & outdoor mindfulness. Get a pen and write your name and contact number on the inside cover in case you loose the book. Sometimes people stop themselves from ever making a nature journal simply because they lack artistic skills. Nature is the true source of inspiration for a nature journal. We are creatures of habit- even in a single day. It’s a cool journaling template that asks you questions to draw out descriptive insights and make new outdoor discoveries. Here’s an example of a sensory description…, I was walking outside by the broccoli plants when I noticed there were a lot of bees buzzing around. ​ If you want. That’s all it takes to get started and start recording some really cool things happening outside. What if I have ugly notes scribbled all over? I will often make a warm up sketch or two right there as well (see Sacrificial Pancakes below). If you don’t currently have a nature journal then you’re missing out on one of the best ways to discover the riches of nature. And there is plenty of room built into this journal for step 4 . Nature journaling is an easy way to capture the beauty you see, like a nature scrapbook or type of journal diary. So in this article I’m going to share some easy tips & tricks for how to keep a nature journal so you can make the most of your outdoor adventures. BMC SpringerOpen Nature ResearchPalgrave MacmillanSpringer Go to the journal list page and locate your chosen journal. When you sketch a plant… it helps you look more closely. Your first session might look something like this: . . You can almost see the same thing that I saw. 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