Nature Journaling Program Begins This Month
On Earth Day
this year we’re launching a new program—Nature Journaling! Don’t worry, we
promise you can be great even if you don’t consider yourself an artist or a
writer. Before you grab your spot, learn more about celebrating Earth Day in
a new way.
Nature Journaling has been used in classrooms, homeschools, summer camps, and by hikers and outdoorsmen alike as a tool for all ages to connect deeper with nature. It is a way to document your experiences outside and in turn gain insights into the natural world, become more creative, allow your curiosity to grow, and so much more. People who nature journal have reported that the time spent outside observing and experiencing what’s around them has brought them a deeper calm and improved mental health.
What do you
need to start? A journal, of course, and writing tools are the basics.
It’s a good practice to bring these with you whenever you go outside so if you
feel prompted or notice something interesting you can journal.
Start with some
basics. What day is it? What’s the weather like? What time of day is it? Where
are you?
These seem mundane, but the more you observe the more you’ll notice patterns
about what is happening outside and how they correlate to seasons, weather, and
so on.
When starting
out you might just journal with easy prompts, such as spend ten minutes with
your eyes closed in one spot and think about your senses.
What are you
hearing? If it’s a bird you don’t know the call of, what does the call sound
like? Is something trampling through the leaves?
What are you
feeling? Is there a breeze? Is it hot? Is the ground damp or dry? Sandy or
rocky? Does the grass tickle, or are the pine needles soft? Lastly, how do you
feel about sitting here?
What can you
smell? I was recently in a class of other people working in conservation and
as we trekked through a habitat someone said, “it smells like
Michigan.” We were still in Florida, but that observation was an indicator
about the species of plants we would find around us – fewer live oaks and palms
surrounded us, replaced by many more red oaks. That’s a great observation for a
nature journal – you tap into what your senses tell you, and then look around
and ask why or how.
Now with your
eyes open, what can you see? Slow down with this, we can see so much at once
but sometimes can’t see the trees through the forest – literally. Pick one
plant and observe it. What insects crawl or land on it? Does it have buds? Are
the leaves soft, smooth, rounded, rough?
Write and draw
these observations as you go – and remember, you’re not an expert. If you don’t
know what something is describe it the best you can, even giving it a name if
you want. Get creative with HOW you record these observations – do you press a
leaf or create a rubbing? Do you bring a ruler and get accurate measurements of
everything? Do you draw little doodles of the birds you see? All of these are
great ways to add to your observations!
From all these
notes you can expand and learn more. When you go home, try researching what
you’ve seen. Ask others about it or use other tools to learn, such as nature
apps. Fill in more notes in the journal about what you’ve learned in your
research after the fact.
