The Write Stuff: Naturalist Notes

In today's modern, fast-paced world, our daily lives are controlled by commuting, smartphones, emails, and social media. It is easy to take the natural world for granted. The scenic beauty of our landscape and the wildlife that inhabits it deserve more than just being a scenic backdrop on Instagram or Snapchat. Taking a closer look at our natural surroundings will ultimately give us a better awareness of changes to our environment. This awareness will give people the willingness to preserve and conserve it. Nature journaling allows us to stop and appreciate our environmental surroundings and record our observations and thoughts. Nature is all around us, and by keeping a journal, even for a few minutes a day, the splendor of the world can be revealed.

“Nature journaling is the regular recording of observations, perceptions, and feelings of the world around you.” So much can be gained from journaling, and there are so many different techniques to journaling that everyone can find a way to enjoy this activity. With nature journaling, it really doesn't matter if you're the type of person who likes to write or not. I am not the type of person who likes to keep a diary or journal. I get too caught up in my spelling and penmanship and lose focus on why it is important to keep a journal. I have learned to let my nature journal be messy.

Years ago, the first time I was asked to participate in nature journaling, we were taken out to a pine forest and asked to write for about 45 minutes. It sounded like it would be a long time, but I was surprised at how fast the time went. I sat there with my head tipped back, looking at the tops of the pines sway in the breeze. They were mesmerizing to watch, back and forth they went. It was a sunny day and the trees' shadows danced on the ground like light on water. It was peaceful, relaxing, and therapeutic. I remember taking a deep breath, filling my lungs with fall air. I looked down and saw a fuzzy white caterpillar. It crawled from one end of the log to the other. When it climbed over some fungus along the log, I could see how well it camouflaged itself. I actually lost it for a few seconds. The entire process of writing about this encounter was soothing! After the whole experience, I felt refreshed, refocused, and even a little relieved.

Nature journaling has the benefits of centering and relaxing you as an individual, but it also can bring back memories. When I was out journaling once, I saw a mullein plant and this plant reminded me of my childhood. Here is a passage from my journal: 'There is a mint green fuzzy mullein just to my left, and my eyes keep coming back to this plant, and I can't help but smile. This plant reminds me of spending hours walking barefoot in the field with my siblings. Now, this field was not soft grass, and I remember one time getting a stiff poke from a plant that caused a cut on the bottom of my foot. My older sister wrapped the injury in a leaf from the mullein tied onto my foot with cord grass.' Because of my experience with mullein, I feel a bond to it and whenever I see it, it brings back warm, fuzzy feelings. Think about the places you heard your favorite bird sing or where you saw a beaver for the first time, or any memory taking place in nature. How do you feel about those places? You probably feel a bond with that place. When people feel a bond to a place, they'll want to protect, cherish, and hold onto it for a lifetime of memories. Nature journaling not only gives you an opportunity to create more of these memories but also develops you to be a steward of the land.

Ask yourself: when was the last time you really looked at that maple in your yard? By keeping a regular nature journal, you'll notice so much of what's around you and you'll want to know more about it. You'll notice weather patterns, changes in the seasons, and even the progression of the sun in the sky over a year. You could use your journal to keep track of the birds and animals that come around your house year-round. I'm sure we all have that corner of our property that we haven't gone to in months. Think about what is going on over there.

There are so many different avenues you can take with your journal. You could use it to make observations to go along with a landscaping project in your backyard. You could experiment with what feeders and types of seeds attract different kinds of birds to your window. You could do a journal while on vacation to remember the trip in a new way. Going out to journal could become family time because this is an activity for all ages. You could all have your own journal or have a shared one. 'Nature journaling is a process that fosters self-learning, challenging the observer to combine intellect with experience.'

One of the great things about nature journaling is that there is no right or wrong way to do it; you are not being graded on it. The whole experience is flexible. You can use whatever materials that you feel comfortable with. When you are writing your observations, you can use any form that you want. Observations can be in a list, paragraph, poem, or any other way you would like. Here is a poem I wrote while journaling one day:

“Who’s knocking

Who’s knocking on the door

Natures door

The door that’s always open for all

Through this door there is life

Life is knocking on the door”

You should incorporate drawings into the pages of your journal. I know drawings can seem scary for some of you, but sketches are very beneficial. You can see from my sketches that I am not very good. As with anything in life, the more you practice, the better you'll become.

Here are some tips when starting a nature journal: schedule time to journal, even if it's only a few minutes a day. The word 'journal' comes from the Old English word meaning 'daily.' You don't have to go for a long hike to journal; you could just look out your window, then draw and write about what you observe. Journaling could be as simple as just taking a step outside for five minutes.

There are a few pitfalls to watch out for when it comes to your journal. One major problem is becoming too narrowly focused on one object. To avoid this, remember to look at what's happening around your subject matter from time to time. This way, you won't lose the scope of what's occurring in the entire natural world. Think about how your object is connected to the rest of its environment and how you fit into these surroundings

In a stressful and fast-paced world, it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. Time spent journaling can be cathartic while allowing you to find brilliance in the natural world.

Nature journaling is a great learning experience for all ages and can be done by everyone. It can be done alone or as a shared activity. Journaling is about taking a moment to refocus and center yourself in the environment. This is not just about the words you write on the paper, but it's about total immersion into the natural world and connecting with it.

There are some great resources about nature journaling out there. One of the books I recommend is 'Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You' by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth, which is where the quotes in this article are from.

I challenge you to keep a nature journal for the next year. Each month in the newsletter, I will offer a suggested journal prompt. Hopefully, you'll be inspired!"

January’s Journal Prompt: Tree Talk

Find a tree, then imagine what it would tell you if it could speak. Imagine what the tree has seen in its lift time and the stories it has. 

As always with nature journaling, starting your journal entry with the date, time, location, and weather conditions is good practice.

Cathy Wesley, naturalist, December 2022