Nature Journaling

The hardest part of nature journaling is actually just getting started. For most of us with little or no drawing skills putting pen(cil) to paper can be a bit intimidating.

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.