What is a nature journal?
A nature journal is a place where you can record your observations of the natural world and describe how nature makes you feel.
You can journal on paper or on a tablet or other device. Drawings, leaf etchings, and photographs can all go in your journal. You can write short or long notes about what you’ve seen and where you’ve seen it.
Why keep a nature journal?
Here are some reasons why keeping a nature journal is good:
- It helps you form a bond with nature
- It helps you become more aware of things around you
- It makes you a better observer
- It can be relaxing
What to journal about?
Your journal is a space to record anything that interests you about nature. Here are a few examples of what to draw:
- The birds visiting your backyard
- Minibeasts like ants and pill bugs moving between blades of grass
- A pretty landscape
- Pebbles at the beach
- Birds flying over the city skyline
Journals are good for lists, too. You can keep a list of all the birds you’ve seen or all the different types of trees in your backyard.
Journals are good for keeping track of changes in the environment. You can journal about the changing seasons. You can track how the plants in your veggie patch grow from seedling to seed.
You may want to journal about how animals behave. If you are journaling about a bird, think about:
- Where you saw the bird (in your backyard, at the beach, in a pond)
- What the bird was doing (catching insects, flying, swimming, singing)
- If the bird had any interesting physical features (long tail feathers, crest on head, large feet)
- If you have any questions about this bird or its habitat
How does nature make you feel?
You can write poetry or stories about nature in your journal.
You can use your journal as a space to write about environmental problems you may have encountered.
For example, maybe you’ve noticed plastic pollution in your local stream. This could inspire you to organize a community cleanup. Writing or drawing can help you come up with solutions to environmental challenges.
Where to find inspiration?
Anywhere! Nature journaling can be done anywhere: at home, school, or a local park. You can take your journal on family travels and record all the interesting things you see.
