Sit-spotting on Christmas Eve. The writing is not so legible :/

Devoting 15 minutes of silent time to observe was fruitful! The natural spot I chose was my back yard in suburban Boulder, so many of the sounds were typical of that setting--kids calling, planes overhead, etc.What I did notice, however, was that the birds coming to the feeder were unusually quiet, perhaps because of my presence. At the end of the time, a rabbit came into view, definitely a surprise since I was so close. Because it's winter, there isn't  much plant growth, but there are rose hips. I couldn't capture the dimpled surface very well, so that's a fine point worth working on.

This is my first page of my field journal.  I live in northern Michigan adjacent to a national forest and trails for cross country skiing, mountain biking, hiking and lots of trees for great birding.  I sat at my desk and revisited my experience outside yesterday and an encounter with a barred owl. I really enjoyed this process.

My sit spot was inside as the weather is inclement and cold...  I chose a rose bud. A photo taken  It is a Knock out rose that started blooming in November.  Unusual as I live in Oregon and this time of year it’s rainy  and cold and can snow if cold enough.  Fairly mild this year consequently plants are still in bloom.  Hummingbirds are enjoying them. Particularly  the salvias growing in a large container by the front door.  I feed the birds so we have several varieties. A lot of wildlife even tho living in a residential area.  

I haven't had the chance to buy all the materials for this class yet, so I just did a little sit spot in my writing journal. Even though it's just a tiny drawing, I really loved sitting and working on this leaf for a while. I go to Green-Wood Cemetery here in Brooklyn 3-4 times a week to walk and bird (and tree), but this exercise was like a lovely permission to just sit and be present with one spot in the park. I felt sort of amazing after the 30ish minutes I spent just sitting. The fall migration seems to have come to a close in Green-Wood - at least the major activity of it - but where I sat I was joined by a lot of Titmouses (Titmice?), 50-60 geese, two Mallards, one Great Blue Heron, some Chickadees and Blue Jays and I could hear a Red Bellied Woodpecker though I didn't see one until much later when I was leaving the grounds. The bottom of this entry says: "I'm thinking about permission. Like these classes are giving me permission that somehow I needed. Permission for observing to be the all, not just a means."

For my first attempt at drawing in nature I drove to the Willow Creek Hatchery on the edge of Edmonds Marsh (along Puget Sound in Washington state). There I sat on a picnic bench (the Hatchery is closed now, but thy allow visitors). I was alone and so set to work trying to capture part of a Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) against the trunk of a Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum). The more I worked, the more complicated the scene seemed. I was not surprised as I spent much of my life asa practical ecologist at a Land Grant University and have had that drummed into me by experience. I spent a half-hour getting some sort of an impression down and here is the result, using a pencil from the Cascadia Art Museum.

Love standing in the middle of the garden or jungle...close my eyes, take a breath, listen, and look at all the little things around - Nature is pretty amazing! Today, I enjoyed the orchids.

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Had a beautiful 20 minutes at Cresent Lake Park.  Would like a lesson on how to draw ripples on the water!  And shadows! I’ve also seen many birds after sitting for 15 minutes on the front porch. My next observation will be at night - I really want to ‘hear’ the neighborhood screech owls and see our wonderful bats.

My sit spot today was the window in the kitchen nook.  We placed a few bird feeders in the yard and now we have a bunch of house finches coming to visit.  There were so many so I chose to draw them every time they landed on the feeder that gave me a side view.  It took them about ten minutes to come back to the feeder since I know they saw me in the window.  Other than that, they did a lot of swooping in and out.

My sit spot today was in my garden at Stanford, CA.  I sat for about 20 mins watching birds come and go from a little tree that grows near the fence. There is a water dish for the birds on a stump under this tree which attracts a variety of birds which today included a Bewick's wren, oak titmouse, lesser goldfinch and maybe a pine siskin. Anna's hummingbirds frequently perch on this same tree in-between their visits to their garden feeder. I was able to make observations about the weather, sounds and state of the garden. 

I completed my sit spot this afternoon, in Ottawa,Ontario (Canada), at a stormwater facility pond.  I sat for about 30 minutes, in the afternoon.  I definately plan to return there for another sitting :).  I saw the colours, noticed the sunlight shining through the various grasses and plants, and took time to notice things like the air, temperature, and sounds.  This process was very meditative...and immersive! The observations that come easily are the more obvious ones, like cat-tails, taller swaying grasses, and the pond water.  It took some time, but I noticed the milkweed, how it has dried up now in Autumn, and how fuzzy white hairs were spilling out of them.  I questioned what the fuzzy white things were, also wondered if they were the same fluffs in the wind and air all around me.  Upon closer inspection, from seated position and then later picking up a fallen seed, I realized yes, the fuzzy stuff coming out of the milkweed are in fact seeds that probably have those hairs sticking out of them because they help them fly around and spread.  I definately want to follow the milkweed through the 4 seasons and see what happens! Keep you all posted :) Alisha

I went on my screened back porch. I sit there most days but really observed today. The signs of fall are all around. It was very relaxing to just observe and put all other things out of my mind. Sketching some of the things I observed is something I haven't done before.

I chose a corner of my yard for the first sit. I love this 'observe and record' method and can't wait to try more locations as the weather gets nicer.  Having an assignment really helped me slow down and be intentional.  I could smell smoke from a wildfire, the temp was 97º, the neighbor's dog was barking, but I felt it was a positive experience.  At one point a hummingbird hovered above me and I was the one being observed.  The hardest part of the whole thing was to close my eyes and breathe.  I will remember to do that more often.

This was my first sit spot experience. I sat in a city park close by, in a windy morning. Sounds came more easily; with time, I started to notice more details of light/ shadow/ dark in trees, birds, vegetation... Birds moved, so it was challenging to draw them. After sitting still & drawing for about an hour, I walked a bit and passed by a big pine tree. I've seen this tree several times before. But for the first time I looked at it with different eyes, which made me want to come back again, sit still and draw it!

I noticed the Carolina Wren darts precariously in and out of brush in my backyard and usually forages alone, while other birds do so in pairs.  I started the sketch outside and finished the details of it after my sit-sketch, looking up its latin taxonomy and order and family on allaboutbirds.org :) Had I not been still, I doubt this bird would've appeared with me otherwise.

1 -It was lovely! I was shocked to see how quickly the light changes though. As a result, representing the light was challenging. I feel like I "zoned out" for a while because I spent an hour instead of 20 minutes, but honestly thought it has only been 15 or 20 minutes. 2-Listening to the sounds around me felt natural, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much time I could observe just by smelling the air. Sounds crazy when I write this but in the moment, it made so much sense.

Observing nature is something I'm familiar with, but I hadn't sat down and written down observations in a while. I tried one a couple of days ago, but it was already the afternoon and I could hear a lot of landscaping work going on nearby. It was simply too loud for me to concentrate, even though I did see some things. The next day, I went out twice. The first time was pretty early in the morning and I observed quite a lot of things going on around me, trying to use all my senses. Later, I went out with my dad after breakfast to a local spot we visit sometimes. I didn't think about doing a sit spot exercise because I had already done one that day. However, as we sat watching the river, I found myself noticing a lot of other things. There were squirrels behind us and birds occasionally calling that we couldn't see. I started to record things and I found that it came naturally to me. I have always been sensitive to sound, so those kinds of observations come more easily to me. And when there is sound, I usually can see the source. I think I've always been a "use all my senses" kind of person, so I wouldn't say that any of them are things I don't notice as much. However, I think I've never put thought into actively noticing a smell unless it's a strong smell. In this exercise, I learned that it's important to take note of the subtle smells, too. The season is changing from summer to autumn, and I can certainly tell just by smell. One last thing to note is that sometimes there are so many things going on that it's hard to write them all down. Or I'll be observing something, but be torn between observing and recording. I think being in the moment is more important though, and I can record a little something of it later so I can remember.

This sitting still is a normal activity for me, but focusing on all the senses was a good way to be more aware.

I like the long list of the experience of being in nature verse, the labeling of specimens. This may have to do with not liking the look of when add too much writing I feel like it jumbles the composition.

1. I sat in our crabapple tree in our yard, which has pretty good wildlife, that ranges from rabbits to deer. I liked sitting there, and it was helpful that plants and trees don’t just fly away, like birds, so I could pay attention to bark, the branches etc. 2. The form of the tree was a bit exotic, and fun to capture, but nothing about drawing it was too odd.

Enjoyed this exercise, with quiet time I began to notice so many things going on I had to choose just a few to concentrate on. Thanks for the walking suggestion.

Pleasant early morning scanning my pumpkin patch. Many healthy plants and a few who have succumbed to the backyard bullies. I spied a likely culprit and he stared back defiantly as drew his likeness. Grandpa Ott greets the day like a royal trumpeter in fine purple robes—my morning glory is a wonder! I never fail to step on my favorite nemesis, the sweet gum ball. Pain and pleasure, beauty and bugs...my sit spot.

1. My first sit spot experience too. Sitting on the steps of our large deck overlooking our garden, while my 2 year old daughter painted at her easel nearby. This exercise showed me that it doesn't take much time to have mindful moment in nature. I worked through each of my sense to focus on what I was experiencing, so I could better record it. Overall, a special moment. 2. The differences in colours and textures came quickly, sounds and feelings took a little longer.