Welcome back nature journalers! In this week’s post, we explore an acronym to help us remember different ways we can approach our nature journaling practice. So let’s dive in!
When We Nature Journal, we are LEARNING!
In my ongoing quest to find fun acronyms for activities (as a classroom teacher, I love a good acronym), I wanted one that captured a lot of the ideas from nature journaling in a short form. After spending some time -probably more than I should have – I stumbled upon one that I liked. I promptly jotted it down in a Notability document…and then just as promptly forgot where I had written it. Thankfully, I was able to find it again.
L – Label
E – Explore
A – Ask
R – Reflect
N – Notice
I – Imagine
N – Navigate
G – Grow
I plan to create a future blog post series about each of these in more depth, but in the mean time I created a handy graphic (you can download your own copy at the bottom of the page) with the explanations below.
L – is for Label
When we nature journal, it can be helpful to add labels. Examples include names (common and scientific), colors, structures, unique features, and more.
E – is for Explore
Look for new things…new places…new sounds… and add them to your nature journal!
A – is for Ask
Be curious…Ask a question – then ask some more! And don’t worry about having the answers, you can add them later
R – is for Reflect
Take some time to think about what you have learned. Leave space to add to your journal and make new connections.
N – is for Notice
Look closely at the world around you – use your senses. Zoom in and notice the details…Zoom out and notice the big picture…Seek the everyday and the unique.
I – is for Imagine
Be creative…Think about how/why something happens. Tell a story or poem about what you have seen
N – is for Navigate
Make a map – Where are you? Where did you go? Where did you find something?
G – is for Grow
Practice helps us grow and learn new skills. The more “pencil miles” we do, the more interesting our journal will be.
What LEARNING looks like
As I mentioned before, I plan to discuss each of these approaches in more depth in later posts. I also hope to talk more about my own journey as a nature journaler and what these practices look like for me. My goal is to find opportunities to bring nature journaling to more members of the community, whether that is in the classroom, in partnership with community organizations, or some other format I haven’t tried yet. I think that nature journaling can be a powerful for tool for helping forge much needed connections within ourselves, with others, and with our environment.
If you’d like your own copy of the graphic (please make sure you give credit!), click on the download link below.
Fernheart Designs 
