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Journaling is a great way to inspire creativity, boost memory, and relieve stress. As opposed to self-reflection, nature journaling is about observing creatures and habitats around you. It's a simple and effective tool to help naturalists improve their observation skills and see big picture ecological concepts more clearly.
If you've already completed your backyard BioBlitz, nature journaling is a fantastic way to catalogue species. But this time, take a closer look. Pick one of your favorite plants and spend 10 minutes drawing it. Pick a favorite animal and observe it - what is it eating, how does it move, does it make noise?
Nature Journaling
By: Sam Lucas
Take a moment to relax and explore the nature surrounding your home - create a nature journal to record fun findings, observations, and sketches of what you discover.
Create
To create your nature journal, staple or string pages together creating a booklet, then decorate it any way you would like. For example, a stick from your backyard can be used as the nature journal’s spine; paint, colored pencils, crayons, stamps, or stickers can be used to create a personal touch.
Explore
As you explore nature, pick out plants, animals, habitats, or anything else outside that inspires you to learn more. Ask questions, use your senses, and take in the environment to create something completely unique.
Record
What makes nature journaling so great is that there are no rules! What your journal looks like and what content is recorded in it is completely up to you.
additional cool resources
How to get started with nature journaling
How to Teach Nature Journaling (Print and free PDF download)
By John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren; Foreword by Amy Tan
To help families who need this resource right now, they’re offering a free download of the entire book!
Nature Journaling Ideas!
Project Learning Tree provides awesome ideas about how to make the most of your nature journaling experience!