Nature Journaling
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First Bird: A New Year’s Nature Practice
One practice I was introduced to by the birding community was the “First Bird”. The “First Bird” is the first bird that you observe in a New Year. I have found it to a fun practice that allows me to pause and slow down, get outside, and genuinely engage with the world around me. Want…
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Following Instructions
It is interesting how certain ideas loop back to us. How a moment brings to mind something we have heard or read. Recently, I found myself reminded of one of my favorite poem excerpts from Mary Oliver’s “Sometimes” Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. I was first introduced to…
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Teaching Nature Journaling – Where to Begin?
So you want to share the wonderful world of Nature Journaling with others, but might be feeling a bit overwhelmed about where to begin. And you are not alone. Much like the feelings you may have had the first time that you began your own nature journaling page, it can feel intimidating about where to…
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Using Nature To Foster The Three C’s: Curiosity, Creativity, and Connection
If we let it, nature can be a valuable teacher. It can help us discover ourselves, the world around us, and all the changes shaping both all the time. We can find our voice through pen or screen to share what we learn with others. And be shaped by the world around us at the…
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Nature Journaling Prompts: Where To Begin?
Sometimes when we nature journal, we can find ourselves stuck on where to begin. With so many wonderful things to explore, I can relate to this…so having some prompts to help us get started can be helpful to keep in our back pocket. And like many other educators, I love a good mnemonic to help…
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Nature Journaling is LEARNING: G is for Grow
Whether it is 5 minutes during a lunch break or half an hour on a day off, grab your journal, something to write with, and find something interesting. Try different strategies – like a quick sketch to capture rough shapes or really zooming in to notice the details. Play with lines or color or different…
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Nature Journaling is LEARNING: N is for Navigate
Well we have made it pretty far on our journey of learning about nature journaling – in fact I think I see our destination in sight… But how did we get here? And where are we going next? Today we are going to talk about a fun strategy to try when stuck in a nature…
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Nature Journaling is LEARNING: I is for Imagine
When we are young, we often have vivid imaginations – and it forms a key part of how we play with others and engage and learn about the world around us. But as we grow older, there is often a shift towards more fact or argument driven engagement with others. But what if we let…
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Nature Journaling is LEARNING: N is for Notice
As you notice these aspects of the world around you, record them in your journal. Draw a picture or icon that helps capture your noticings. Or if you can’t draw it – use words or numbers to help describe it. I think sometimes playing with how to describe what we encounter can be fun and…
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Nature Journaling is LEARNING: R is for Reflect
When I think of journaling in general, I tend to associate it with the practice of reflecting…how was our day…what am I grateful for…what went well (or maybe even what didn’t). And depending on how we go about a nature journaling practice, many of these same ideas can still apply.