What is Nature Journaling?

As discussed in the previous blog post, there is a rich history of scientists and artists bringing data to life. You don’t have to be an artist, scientist or expert to nature journal. As a naturalists, you can help convey a more complex piece of scientific work, nature issue, or article, and tell others how you would depict this in a graphical form.

Nature Journaling will open your eyes to a new world. Dig into your observations and discover more about the area you’re visiting. Look as your journal as a book or journal chronicling change. You just need a few simple tools (unlined notebook, pen or pencil to start), and 5 to 30 minutes of time each day to focus on developing your observational skills.

Nature Journaling is using words, pictures, and numbers to collect and record your nature observations, questions, connections, and explanations in a note book.

Nature Journaling is a joyful and engaging way of connecting our lives and the world. The intersection of art, science, and mindfulness. Every page can be a song of gratitude and an inspiration to be kind and to become a steward of the earth.

Naturalist, artist, and author John Muir Laws often says, “Journaling is your brain on paper.” Studies have shown that the brain physically changes its shape and density when spending a little bit of time on a regular basis learning something new. Curiosity triggers dopamine, the hormone associated with happiness. Journaling improves a person’s attention to detail and memory by documenting, drawing, and writing on paper.

Everyone’s journal will be different. Your journal will be a unique expression of your interests and your life. I carry my journal and a pen wherever I go, because I never know what I’ll see that I may want to capture in my journal. I don’t document just nature. I document things I eat, see, place that I visit, and more.