by 14 people |
Observing and Recording Changes in the World Around You...
Creating a Nature Journal is an exciting way to record the changes in the world around you. It's inexpensive and can be both educational and recreational for children and adults.
Getting Started
Tools of the trade...
Drawing is a skill that can be acquired with lots of practice...at least this is what I've been reading in my how-to nature journaling books. *smile* And if after you've finished drawing your scene and it doesn't look much like what you are looking at, well, you can always label it so there will be no doubt. *smile*
Drawing paper, your backyard, local park or a window with a view, a good starting reference book and drawing implements are all you need to get started.
Your Nature Journal can be as intricate or as simple as you like. If can be full of sketches or words or a combination of both. If nothing original comes to mind do a quick online search for content appropriate poetry, quotes, songs, sayings or bible verses.
You can use pen, pencil, colored pencils, oil pastels, markers...anything you find you are comfortable drawing with. A simple drawing pad from Walmart, drawing paper to put in a binder or a fancy book bought at Barnes and Noble can serve as your journal.
If you truly don't want to draw...don't let that stop you. Photographs are just fine and pressings of flowers, grasses, leaves and even insects will quickly fill your Nature Journal pages with memories and scents of your various journeys. Make sure you take along your camera and small plastic baggies to carefully carry home the delicate items you want to preserve for use in your journal.
I just started my Nature Journal but my twins have been working on their journals since the beginning of spring. I use a light blue suede drawing pad that I picked up from Target. My twins use journal pages that I create on my computer and print out on heavy cardstock, adorned with Dover nature clipart and writing prompts. We bind them together with twine and sticks. My drawings tend to be of scenes whilst my twins are more apt to draw single items that capture their attention...a leaf, a branch, an insect or bird. We make note of the time, weather, date and what we see and hear. I also go online to weather.com to get the high, low, precipitation and phase of moon to add to my journal entries.
Nature Journal Printables
- Nature Journal Printables
- Created for my twins' nature journals...
- Cade and Connor's Spring Nature Journals
- To give you an idea of how we do it...
Benefits of Nature Journaling
...from Clare Walker Leslie's "Keeping a Nature Journal"
- Scientific and aesthetic observation
- Creative and technical writing
- Layout & presentation of ideas and observations
- Perception and analysis
- Questioning, inventiveness, synthesis
- Reflection, silence
- Meditation, focus, personal healing
- Greater appreciation of nature & place (God)
- Shared family experiences
- Finding your own voice, learning to open yourself to new experiences
- Self-confidence and the ability to express yourself
Nature Blogs
- The Nature Corner
- Dawn's posts are always a treat.
- Nature's Sweetness
- a Charlotte Mason style online journal.
- Blossoms and Bees
- authored by Elizabeth Foss, full of great information and gorgeous photos.
- Lapaz Farm Home Learning
- Theresa's website is packed full of great ideas and she documents with photos for those of us that love visuals. *smile*
Nature Journaling How-to Books
Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You
Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 07/04/2009) 
The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/04/2009)
Learn to Draw Nature (Art Tricks)
Amazon Price: $11.42 (as of 07/04/2009)
Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals
Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2009)
Nature Journal: A Guided Journal for Illustrating and Recording Your Observations of the Natural World
Amazon Price: $15.25 (as of 07/04/2009)
Nature Journals and Drawing/Writing Implements
Book journals and colored pencils for you to start with...
My Nature Journal: A Personal Nature Guide for Young People
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 07/04/2009)
The Birder's Book : Journal Your Backyard Birds
Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2009)
Prismacolor Soft Pastel Pencil Set 30 Colors
Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2009)
Smythe Sewn Faux Old Leather Wraps, Handtooled, Lined
Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2009)
Nature Reference Materials - Birds
Field guides...
The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/04/2009)
Identify Yourself: The 50 Most Common Birding Identification Challenges
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/04/2009)
Common Birds and Their Songs (Book and Audio CD)
Amazon Price: $14.96 (as of 07/04/2009)
Peterson First Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson First Guides)
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/04/2009)
Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides® for Young Naturalists)
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 07/04/2009)
Nature Reference Materials - Trees and Plants
A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs: Northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-centralCanada (The Peterson Field Guide Series)
Amazon Price: $12.92 (as of 07/04/2009)
A Field Guide to Wildflowers : Northeastern and North-Central North America (Peterson Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $12.92 (as of 07/04/2009)
Trees (National Audubon Society First Field Guide)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2009)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (National Audubon Society Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $14.25 (as of 07/04/2009)
Grasses: An Identification Guide (Sponsored by the Roger Tory Peterson Institute)
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 07/04/2009)
Nature Reference Materials - Insects and Animals
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders (National Audubon Society Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/04/2009)
Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 07/04/2009)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies (National Audubon Society Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 07/04/2009)
The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/04/2009)
A Guide to Night Sounds: The Nighttime Sounds of 60 Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, and Insects
Amazon Price: $9.29 (as of 07/04/2009)
Nature Journal Flickr Photos
We had a lot more birds than I listed actually. No clue what the bottom sketch i...
Inside the journal, envelopes replacing pages (to put nature stuff in).
Nature Journaling Links
A little of this, a little of that...
- Nature Watching and Journals
- covers all aspects of Nature Journals from what tools to use, to what to document in your Nature Journal.
- Start a Nature Notebook
- by Karen Andreola. Mrs. Andreola discusses the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling and Nature Journals.
- Try This! Nature Notebooks
- has a drawing lesson for budding Nature Journalists.
- Nature Study
- offers ideas on what to put in your nature journal.
- An Introduction to the Nature Study
- Smithsonian Education offers this how-to in PDF format.
- Nature Study Online
- Become a backyard naturalist.
- Indoor Nature Study
- Housebound? Weather not cooperating...here are some ideas.
- Benefits of Nature Journaling
- More info.
- Benefits for Children of Play in Nature
- Outside is a great place to be...learning!
- Homeschooling Boys! A Plan for Nature Study?
- Nature Study...boys
- Nature Study for Girls
- Nature Study...girls
- Ranger Rick
- Create your own Nature Journal.
- Enchanted Ink - Stick Book
- Where I got the idea for my twins' stick nature journals.
- Learn to Draw
- Drawing lessons from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Ravenhill Cottage: Starting a Nature Journal
- Pretty examples and suggestions.
- Nature Walk Guide Sheets
- For Pre-K...Word documents with photos for little ones that can't read yet.
- Jim Arnosky's Outdoor Journal
- Coloring pages of "100 Animals Every Child Should Know."
- Anna Botsford Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study
- An online version available for download in many formats.
- Online Field Journal
- Various field study ideas with printable sheets.
- Nature Journal
- Printable Nature Study pages from Donna Young.
Your thoughts?
flicker wrote...
Great lens! 5 stars. I used to keep an online nature journal myself, with photos. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time. If you'd like, come visit my new lens about Black Bears.
Posted October 14, 2007
Evelyn_Saenz wrote...
Nature Journaling relates so well to my lenses about various animals that I will be lensrolling it. Please come check out my lenses.
Posted October 03, 2007
Jimmie wrote...
Dani,
Thanks for the suggestions. I recently ordered the Nature Journal book (by C.W. Leslie) at half.com. I had no idea the Handbook of Nature Study is online for free! I'm downloading that now! Thanks!
Posted July 14, 2007
pkmcr wrote...
Very informative Lens and thanks for adding it to How To Succeed With Squidoo Take care. Paul
Posted June 03, 2007
Susan52 wrote...
Dani,
What a wonderful, fabulous, 5-star lens!
We homeschooled our boys all the way through, so I appreciate anything homeschool-related, and especially things for boys. I'm so glad you found my lens so I, in turn, found yours. Can't wait to share it with my friends!
Blessings,
Susan
Posted June 02, 2007
by ArtfulThoughts
Hi, my name is Dani. I'm a digital graphic artist.
I maintain several websites, including:
Dani3D.com
FaeFolk.com
CatholicGraphics.com
and also write...
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