For a lot of people, I think there is an illusion that “nature” is a place out there – away from where we live, work, and play regularly especially if we make our home in a city. And I will be the first to admit that for many years, I felt this way too. That “nature” was something I traveled to find in a state or national park on summer vacation. My nature journaling practice was confined to pages I would create while on these trips. But one of the things that has brought me the most joy over the last few years has been discovering the nature around me and my home.
Finding the Nature Nooks
One of the most important things you can do for your nature journaling practice is to get in some pencil miles (practice). And the best way to get that practice is to do it regularly. For me, finding spots that I could easily visit over and over again helped make my pencil miles – and my journal – more meaningful. I started calling them nature nooks because some of them are small little areas of greenspace where I can watch as the world changes through the year. I am lucky to live in an area where park space is plentiful (I can walk to several parks within 10 minutes), but for over 100 million people in the US, they don’t have greenspaces within a half mile of their home. Part of me hopes that as more people discover the benefits of time in nature, programs to help support more of these outdoor spaces for everyone will become a priority.
This is where nature nooks come in. Try as we might, nature will always find its way in. So look for it around you:
- in the birds sitting and singing or flying between trees or buildings
- in the trees that change with the seasons and those that don’t
- in the flowers or mosses that make homes along sidewalks
In general, I would say look for the green things. There are amazing things that you can begin to notice.
Put It Down
And once you find your nature nook(s), then it is time to start journaling about it. As I have discussed in previous posts, there is no right or wrong way to nature journal. Every single entry is different because you are capturing a unique experience from your viewpoint – no one else’s. Start where you are comfortable – write about what you see or what you hear, draw the outline of the shape of a new leaf you noticed, or count the number of birds you saw while on an outing. Then the next time you go out, do it again, but with a little more detail. Look a little more closely or even look at the big picture. Record the things that you notice and that stand out to you…the questions you wonder about…the past experiences or ideas that they remind you of. Because your nature journal is about you – your experience of the world around you and all of its beauties, big or small
Share About It
Now I know I JUST SAID that your nature journal is just for you… and that is true. But one thing you should be prepared for if you nature journal in your community is for people to ask you about it. Most often, they might ask what you are drawing. But, a lot of people may ask other questions like how do you do that…what have you seen lately…what tools you are using…and more. When I first started journaling outside, I was not fully prepared for it (I always described myself as shy and am still battling my inner critic and its overprotectiveness). But the more I did it, the more I actually enjoyed chatting with people. Sharing nature journaling with them. Sometimes, you can even get some cool information about other interesting plants and animals in the area. My hope as a nature journal educator is that maybe seeing me journal or chatting for a few minutes might inspire someone else to give it a try -which someday leads someone else to start nature journaling and spending intentional time in nature. Because deep down, nature journaling is about making connections – within ourselves, with the incredible world around us, and with one another.
Want to hear more? Check out my interview about my experiences with urban nature journaling on Marley Peifer’s The Nature Journal Show https://youtu.be/uSGetR-05JA?si=u3L97Hu0qDUjivFW .
Fernheart Designs 