I love how this is a mix of art and science. It really shows a level of connection to the nature rather than just a study of it 1. What inspired you to begin nature journaling? I am a forever learner and started birding march 2020 during quarantine. I realized while I like learning the science I really love the beauty and connection. I’m excited to mix my love of learning with my hobby of art 2. Now that you’ve heard from several other journalers about their processes, and had a peek at their journals, which ideas or approaches do you want to try? I want to go with whatever feels right in the moment. Perhaps like the first one of having drawings and words in loose boxes 3. Do you have a different journaling idea, not mentioned here, that you’d like to share? maybe adding how you felt that day. Adding what your human experience was being with the subjects

1) This course was a gift from my husband. It was a beautiful surprise. Some time ago I started to paint and draw and also we like to go outside and appreciate nature. So he taught it would be nice to combine both activities. I am excited. 2) I like the idea of appreciate and record God´s creation. Also have a close connection with nature and learn about different species. I want to enjoy and relax at the same time memories are created on my 1st nature journal.

1. I have long wanted to start nature journaling, but either got frustrated by not being "good" at it immediately, or just never took the time to figure it out. I recently moved to a new city, but to the region I have long called home. While I planned my move, I decided to finally take up nature journaling as a way to get to know my new surroundings, reacquaint myself with the region, and get outside when I have a an annoying tendency to stay inside. 2. I am inspired by the journalers who -- implicitly or explicitly -- recalled a time and place where they observed the subject of their sketch, and even remembered how they felt that day. The casual mention of a warbler in the field, to the near-scientific notation of location, date, and weather. For so long I have thought of nature journaling (and journaling generally) as a product for someone else to look at, not for myself. I am certain that this is why I have had such a hard time sticking to it. I always got frustrated if I couldn't write something "profound" in a journal, so what was the point? These journalers have demonstrated that the nature journal isn't for anyone by themselves, and the joy, memory, education, and perhaps even therapy, that comes from their experience.

As I am new to sketching and painting, I know that I will depend on words and reflections often in my journal. But I would like to get to the point where I can illustrate the same things I might write about in pictures, colors, shapes, etc. but I think I will always incorporate thoughts and reflections in writing as a complement to pictures.

I live on one of the Southern Gulf Islands and with my job and house and garden and sailboat, I feel like a rarely have time to do anything let alone anything artistic. Except that I need to journal every day just to stay in touch with me. I always feel the need to express the beauty around me. On our last trip, this one to the interior of BC, I bought a book called Nature sketch and started sketching out of it because i have always wanted to be able to record the beauty of our travels somehow. So I really want to learn to sketch, draw and paint! I liked how the author of this book learned about what she sketched and wrote it down so I could learn it too. My friends who are biologists tell me stuff all the time which I promptly forget. I know I will remember it better if I sketch the details of what they are talking about. It also feels when I do like Nature is not separate from me, and I am more a part of it. Also, in my profession I use lots of plants and flowers. I keep a blog just for fun (nothing to do with business!) and would love to illustrate it because it feels so personal and is a way of putting more of myself into it. As you can tell, I am a complete beginner. But as a child I used watercolours to show all kind of animals and nature living their lives in an interwoven way. I would like to do the same thing again with this course. Thank you!

1. I've had a lot of extra time to pursue my lifelong hobby of arts and crafts since working from home. I find art courses helps to keep me consistently inspired and they help me to broaden my horizons in terms of drawing subjects. Journaling has always been a hobby as well, so it made sense to combine the two.   2. I would love to implement templates across my pages, although that idea may be inspired more by my love of comic books and manga. I also think that consistently having a place for flora, fauna and scenery would help make for nicely varied subjects. I'm also going to base my art off of photos more often than not to I don't run into the problem of having incomplete details, especially with birds. I also want to try to use mixed media, both watercolor and colored pencil and see which gives me better results.   3. Templates and themes within my journal, though not entirely a new idea, may be an interesting way to help organize my pages and make them as organized and informative as possible.

1. I love birds and have always had a hard time drawing birds for some reason, despite the amount of time I spend watching them. I love being out in nature and appreciating the little things. I hope this will nurture that vein in my soul! 2. I really liked the idea of capturing the general shapes and motions of birds, even leaving out facial features when the bird flies away, and not pretending to have seen the face and filling in the blank. I also like the idea of incomplete drawings, like that is a natural part of the journaling process. It takes away from the obsession with perfection, and redirects the focus on the goal of the journal entry, whether that be general shape of birds. I also was surprised at people being able to capture birds despite how much they move! I'm interested in trying the journaling style that includes mostly drawing (for that is mostly why I am taking this course) but includes notations and questions, because I'm sure I will have some!

1. I've been intimidated by nature journaling but Liz's Robin watercolor class gave me some confidence so I thought I'd give this a try. I love art and can watch little insects and animals for hours - seems like the perfect combo! 2. Noting flora and fauna and general observations about the environment (sounds, colors, patterns, etc) and maybe leaving some space for extra details that can be looked up later. Love the zoomed in details in the first journal!

I am not real good at all this tech stuff, but I hope you get it and can make sense of my meanderings.

I strategically placed bird feeders outside my window during my year of "Covid Teaching" last year to stay sane and balance screen time, and began to wonder how to record the little details of things I observed everyday.  After seeing these examples, I am inspired to combine my love of letters and calligraphy with my nature observations. I know I won't have time to enter something everyday, but I like the idea of the journal tracking my nature observations over time through seasons, so the dates/weather seem more important to me now.  I, also, like the ideas of thoughtful composition....the journalist who grappled with the use of squares. Most of my art experience is with oil paints and human models who sit still for lengths of time.  So my big question is how do you accurately capture creatures that move???  The one journalist talked about capturing the shapes, so I found that helpful, but what about colors and details??  I'm looking forward to the challenge and delving into watercolor.

I'm just learning to draw in retirement and there are so many subjects in the natural world that I feel will be inspiring and challenging as a beginner. I loved the journals that captured the change of seasons and provide a diary of things you see each day or month. Combining drawing with poetry appeals to me, also drawing and discovering the names of birds, trees, insects that you may not have noticed in the past.  I like the meditative quality of drawing, so I think just being able to slow down and observe closely will be a very comfortable way to spend my time.

I am a watercolorist who uses my own photography as my guide/reference while working in my studio. I have always loved being in and observing nature, as my paintings show. However, I have never been much of a nature journalist, preferring to capture my subjects via camera because sitting with bad hips and back is painful after a short while. NOW, post hip surgeries, back surgery, a year and a half of COVID, and also being a full time caregiver to my mom, I have a deep desire to nature journal! I been working on a series of paintings of clouds and monsoon skies and my I-phone camera always meters for the whites, making the blue sky too dark to use as a reference. Plus, I spend sooooo much time at home now. My sanity project has been to expand my wildflower/native flower gardens, thus increasing the pollinators to my yard. An avid bird watcher, I have feeders all over the yard so the blossoms, birds, bees and butterflies bring absolute delight to me and my mom who is battling cancer.  Journaling these backyard wonders will enable me to stay close to my mom while staying creative and increasing my observation skills. Jocelyne Shiner

I am a science teacher at a Montessori middle school with a land-based program on 13 acres and used to draw/paint but haven't in years (motherhood, work, etc got too busy). I am excited to see the dusting off of an old hobby merge with creating purposeful, mindful appreciation for our campus. So far my kids have LOVED the experience. They even took their material and worked on their journals off campus on a trip. It's been a joy and I am so grateful to have the format of this course to help all of us grow and develop our skills. Thank You!!!

I've enjoyed birding for the past two years.  I typically bring my camera and capture birds on my walks through trails, parks, and other nature locations.  Although I have been extremely satisfied with birding and photography, I want to improve my bird and nature observation skills.  Nature journaling will help me slow down, but I also look forward to learning more drawing and painting skills.

1)I capture the “flora and fauna” near my home and wherever I travel. I now want to study, reflect on and record the details of the subject. I have always admired others’ travel and nature journals, so I am excited to begin my own. 2) Each journalist came to the projects with the skills they had acquired elsewhere. The evolution of their depictions and their focuses were different and I appreciated each style. I will review this lesson to take notes on what speaks to me and I’d like to incorporate in my journal.

• My first nature journal was made on a family trip across the US when I was 15. Now I am 72 and retired and trying to pick up drawing again. Looking for inspiration to get me started.

I bought a book on nature journaling in 1998 and started a journal in 1999. I have a number of entries for 1999 and 2000, then one for 2007, and nothing until 2020! My original journal still has empty pages. As I am looking towards retirement, I want to spend much, much more time in nature. I love the idea of a page or two per month, but am a bit intimidated by my lack of drawing skills. I love the idea of doing lots of practice drawings. Hopefully I can be patient with myself.

I'm much more of a writer than an artist, so my journal is mostly descriptions of observations, records of my questions, and how I answered them through further observation or research. It's like a journal of discovery, as well as to record memories of places and birds, flowers, insects, animals I've met. I can open to any page and find joy. The illustrations where there are any are just to aid a verbal description. So, I'd like to get better at drawing so I can incorporate that element. I'm just starting with pencil sketches. I am so impressed by the watercolor sketches, and hope to someday be able to learn that skill as well.

1. I've always been passionate about nature and I'm planning on going back to school for wildlife conservation and to become a wildlife biologist. I've always also been fairly decent at art and really admire those who are talented in the ways of arts. I want to try and find a way to combine my two passions while also improving my observation skills and artistic ability. 2. I like the last one where she did multiple sketches for a whole month. I love all of the color and want to do something similar, but I also love adding in all of the written observations as well. I think the first journal is probably the closest to what I want to do.

1. I have always loved being in nature and recently began birdwatching. I would love to improve my art skills and be able to capture what I see on paper. 2. I like the idea of including information about time and weather. It will be cool to track changes over time.

I have always been interested in the natural world. I have, even though I have an Art degree, felt my drawings skills were lacking. I started taking course work at the School of Botanical Art and Illustration offered by the Denver Botanic Gardens. I still fall into old habits of heavy line work and dark values. I am hoping to refine my ability to see proportions, line weight, and value use by starting a new habit of drawing each day.

1. I think I like the idea of being able to use art in a way that is personal and "every day."   I enjoy recording my experiences and those of my family, and I think this can be another way to collect memories.  I am also interested in drawing what I see more accurately.  2. I have tried the art every day, and it seems too demanding for me at the moment.  I'm a mom of three, and quiet times can be few and far between!  I think I like the monthly idea.  Doing a little here and there as I am able seems most realistic at this stage in my life.  3. I don't think I have any other ideas at the moment, but maybe there is a combination of styles that would suit me.  I guess I'll find out!

I really never thought I could draw but I enjoy the idea of journaling and after taking Liz's course on sketching birds discovered I probably can draw and so I want to give nature journaling a try. 2) I liked the journal with the boxes that expanded to loose boxes with drawings going across the edges.  I like a bit of order but I also like to think it doesn't dictate an experience :).  I read one of the other discussion posts where the author noted that she had moved into a new house and had used her journal to capture the changes over time in her yard.  Just yesterday we had topsoil put down at our newly built house and trees, shrubs, and perennials planted and I will take this other student's suggestion and make the changes over time in our yard the beginning focus of my journaling. Becky

My father often sketched nature whether scenery, a flower, bird, plant but never had a story with it.  I saw journals with stories for various life aspects and the nature one intrigued me the most.  I liked the idea of small sketches and stories thru the day, sort of like Liz but also some of the other ones.  I might be more likely to journal about my day and then put in sketches perhaps without all the info about the item I am doing.

I bought a new home approximately four years ago and the builder removed nearly all of the natural habitat in the neighborhood. I've since planted many trees, shrubs, and flowers and have enjoyed watching the birds build nests in the magnolias, the bees feed on the lantana and holly, the American goldfinches eating the coneflower seeds, and the morning doves sunbathing on the fence. I have northern cardinals that swoop in for a quick snack, hummingbirds that adorable the crapemyrtles and (the dreaded) mockingbirds that can't seem to remember where they build the nest (so they build another one and another one and....) My hope is to use my nature journal to document the changes in the yard as it matures, capture the seasonal (and permanent) visitors, and enjoy the habitat I've created. I live in a city with high growth and we are constantly intruding on the natural world. Planting my pollinator-friendly yard and watching the visitors come and go has been so rewarding (and feels a little redemptive). I'm planning on using my nature journaling as a way to really appreciate the space throughout the year. Thanks to Liz, I've also recaptured my joy in drawing but have almost always done black and white sketches. I am looking forward to adding some color, learning new techniques and just tap into my creative mind.