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Nature Journals are a wonderful way to connect with your surroundings.
They help you to pause, observe, and really immerse yourself in the world around you. Most importantly, they give you space to breathe deep and focus on something peaceful.
There are SO many ways to journal about nature, and no way to fail. However you choose to sit and observe, you’re going to benefit. Write paragraphs or poetry, make lists, draw, label, or write questions. Just explore nature and record your journey.
Here are resources to help people of all ages begin nature journaling. Enjoy!
What you’ll need to get started
Supplies:
This child is so excited to be spending time outside. Nature journaling helps make writing and observation practice FUN! (SoWBA photo)
You can start with just a few sheets of computer paper, a pencil, and a surface to work on. You could also create your own sketchbook (check out YouTube for book binding tutorials!) or grab an old notebook. Whatever you have on hand will work. Some people like working only in pencil, while others use ink, colored pencils, markers, or watercolor. Choose materials that make you happy.
Nature inspiration:
Take a walk around your backyard, neighborhood, or local park to look for natural objects (pine cones, acorns, leaves, flowers). Remember, it’s ok to be outside as long as you’re practicing physical distancing. We recommend taking pictures of things that are still growing rather than collecting them.
You can also find inspiration while inside your home. Sit at a window and look for wildlife: squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, crows, hawks, and many other bird species are all living in our neighborhoods too! If a window isn’t exciting enough, you can always draw from a video: nest cameras or feeder cameras offer great views of living, moving birds.
Resources for helping kids use Nature Journals
Two students grin at each other while working on their nature journal entries. This is a great activity for siblings too! Outdoor Ed is fun even when we move the lesson inside. (SoWBA photo)
Madison Audubon Nature Journaling for Kids!
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance Nature Journaling lessons are kid-tested and kid-approved. The lesson below will outline the basics for getting started with a nature journal, as well as adapting it to be a science or phenology journal. Try out mini-lessons like eight-minute notes and sit spots.
Free PDF: Nature Journaling for Kids!
How To Teach Nature Journaling
John Muir Laws has released his new guide, How to Teach Nature Journaling, for FREE as a downloadable PDF. This guide is an amazing resource for adults to use while guiding kids through starting a journal.
It includes tips for the “teacher”, 31 lessons, and great examples of journaling to show kids.
You can download the free PDF here: How To Teach Nature Journaling
Find out more about John Muir Laws and his work here: JohnMuirLaws.com
Field Journaling with Students, by Beetles
A student draws a mammal skull in his science journal. (SoWBA photo)
Beetles provides amazing resources for teaching science and field exploration to kiddos.
Their Field Journaling with Students packet is a bit more rigorous, like something you’d find in a classroom. They offer three lessons, and a whole ton of support on how to adjust lessons for different kids.
Nature Journal Resources for Older Kids & Adults
A more involved supply list, for fun!
If you’re looking to explore new art materials, here is the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance Supply List & Recommendations PDF that we give to our botanical illustration students.
Start a Phenology Journal
A perpetual journal entry from mid-September. Jewlweed is fun for adults and kids alike- those exploding pods don’t disappoint! Art by Carolyn Byers, @GreenSparrowArts.
Phenology is the tracking of natural events as they change throughout the year. Grab a notebook or sketchbook and make weekly entries. Write and draw about what you experience outside, and as the year progresses you’ll have a record of how the seasons changed.
For more inspiration, check out artist and naturalist Lara Call Gastringer. Her Perpetual Journal is a spin on a Phenology Journal. Her sketchbook has one page for each week of the year, but she returns to those pages year after year. The drawings get layered over each other, creating a beautiful visual of the variation among years. Find out how to make your own here.
Take Advantage of Online Resources
A blue jay feather, drawn in colored pencil. Art by Carolyn Byers, @greensparrowarts
There are so many online classes for field sketching and nature journaling. YouTube will forever be a wonderful place to learn new skills. Start searching topics like “field sketchbook”, “scientific illustration”, or “watercolor sketching techniques”. You’ll find lots of information!
If a class is more your pace, check out the free Natural History Illustration course offered online by the University of Newcastle in Australia. New courses begin regularly.
Cornell is currently offering their new Nature Journaling and Field Sketching online class. It comes with a hefty price-tag ($99), but their “sneak peek” videos will teach you a bit to get started. You can watch those and take your new skills outside immediately, or dive deeper into the class.
Take A Class with Badgerland Bird Alliance
An artist observes a milkweed plant before beginning to draw. Learn how to accurately draw plants from life in our Botanical Illustration class. (SoWBA photo)
Badgerland Bird Alliance offers Adult Naturalist Classes, one of which is “Starting Your Pheonolgy Journal”. We’ll be back to having classes out at our sanctuaries before you know it!
You can check out the course description for our last phenology journal class, as well as our Art on the Prairie class.
