What Is Nature Journaling?
Keeping an illustrated, observational journal is a centuries-old method that has been reenvisioned and refined through the lens of our understanding of neuroscience, learning, and deliberate practice. A nature journal is a lens that focuses our attention and crystalizes our observations, thoughts, and experiences.
Nature Journaling is collecting and organizing your observations, questions, connections, and explanations on the pages of a notebook using words pictures, and numbers. You do not need to be an artist or a naturalist to begin. These skills can be learned by anyone, and you can develop them with deliberate practice. The system is creative, rigorous, and playful, easy to begin and learn, and will grow and mature over a lifetime. Start now: you can do this, and the world is waiting.
Nature Journaling will enrich your experiences and develop observation, curiosity, gratitude, reverence, memory, and the skills of a naturalist. It helps you discover, think, remember, and integrate new information with your existing knowledge. Train your mind, and the world will offer you its secrets of wonder and beauty.
The Nature Journal Connection
The Nature Journal Connection is a series of 40 short (10-15 min) online lessons that will build essential journaling skills. If you are looking for a good way to start, this is it. Watch a video and then head out into the field to try the new technique. The next time you go out, watch the next one. These are high percentage bite-size lessons. Appropriate for children of all ages as well as adults, Start now.
Free Live Online Workshops
Need some help getting started or fresh ideas to spice up your practice? Join me online for three one-hour nature journaling workshops every week at 12:00 PM Noon (Pacific Time). See the schedule for details and links to join any of the meetings. There is a new topic for every class!
- Wednesday: Educator Forum. Join nature journaling educators from around the globe for a discussion of best practices and teaching strategies.
- Thursday: The Nature Journal Workshop. A deep dive into the details of drawing and journaling strategies. Be sure to check the event description each week for the topic and supply list and sometimes downloadable classroom materials.
Recorded Workshops and Blog Tutorials
If you have missed any of the tutorials or classes, you can watch most of them any time by visiting my blog archive. Skim the categories and find a class that is right for you.
You also might consider attending the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, or purchasing the Video Pass, which gives you access to recordings from our latest conference. More information here.
Books and Materials
- I have written several books on nature drawing and journaling that can help you get started, including The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, and The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds.
- My book, How to Teach Nature Journaling (co-authored with Emilie Lygren), is available as a free PDF download, and while it is targeted to teachers, it is a great resource for beginners because it includes 30+ nature journaling activities that you can try yourself.
- You may also find it helpful to review this list of my suggested materials and equipment for nature journaling.
- Please visit my store to purchase my books, art supplies, and see many free educational downloads. When you buy these items from me in my store, it greatly helps support me and my many free educational resources. Thank you for your support.
Free Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling
Check out this free downloadable zine that I co-created with the Wild Wonder Foundation (and available in 12 languages!)
This zine (rhymes with green and it is a mini-magazine) is a great way to get started and it makes it easy to share this practice with your family and friends. Download your free copy today, or visit the Wild Wonder store to order sets of 25 for your classroom or nature journal club.