My experience with nature journaling has, so far, been minimal. I dove into it more heavily in 2023 during my Forest Ecology class where our lab field trips took us outside to various parks/nature preserves to observe the ecosystem, its organisms living there, and how everything coexists and interacts.
As part of the class, we had to jot down notes on what we learned (what influence does an open canopy have on the forest floor? How does tree stand density impact tree diameter?). But, I took it a slight step further: with a small sketchbook as my field notebook, I wanted to interweave drawings of the class's nature findings. This included various mushrooms, salamanders, leaves of different tree species, etc. Since I had such an intense work load for the fall semester, this was the only chance I really had to express myself creatively.
And I loved it! Nature journaling connected both my scientific brain (of data recording) to my creative brain (of writing and drawing) all while taking place in the great outdoors. The act of observing, sketching, and recording my findings was also very meditative, and it helped me focus on the present, in a slow, appreciative way.
So, when my local nature center hosted a specific "Nature journaling" workshop, I signed up immediately! Naturally, the awesome instructor, Holly Grant, was also an Oakie (an alum from SUNY ESF).
What is nature journaling?
In its broadest sense, it is recording your observations and thoughts on nature which can be done through a mixture of drawing and/or writing. You don't have to be in the forest to do it; you can be sitting inside watching your bird feeder or even on the balcony of a high rise apartment in the city.
Make observations about what you are seeing
To start nature journaling, you must first be somewhere that you want to observe and record. When we go into a new place, we disturb the environment and natural activity. Be sure to wait 5 minutes before recording your surroundings, allowing the critters to settle back into their routine.
Drawing and coloring techniques
As part of the learning exercise for the class, we reviewed the color wheel, highlighting the three primary colors and the combinations that you can make with all of them. Sketching nature can be done in any medium (though my favorites tend to be watercolor). White gel pens are great accessories for adding bright highlights to drawings, such as the light in an animal's eye or for detailing fur/hair.
If the subject you are drawing is mobile and hard to capture in one sitting (like an animal), it can also be helpful to snap a picture and return to sketching later. In the moment, you can also write out what the colors will be, if you decide to add color later.
Practice!
Of course, first sketches may not turn out the way we would like, and that's ok. For beginning drawings, Holly suggested practicing the ABCDs:
Absorb: spend ample time just taking in your surroundings
Block in: lightly sketch the general shapes of what you are interested in (these won't be perfect and are often messy)
Connect: bring the shapes together with more solid and heavy lines
Detail: add more information (small feathers, hair, detailed tree bark, and colors all come last)
If drawing isn't your forte, nature journals can also be entirely composed of writing. Some of the very best nature literature is of outdoor observations, like Braiding Sweetgrass or Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
Thank you, Holly!
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