My sister and I wanted to do an art project together - in a remote way.  She is in New Hampshire while I am in Alaska. A goal is to develop a regular drawing practice. I would like to place multiple sketches on one page using graphics to capture an image of the morning. One new idea is to do a quick sketch each day to describe the weather with an illustration. For example, today the clouds and fog are obscuring Mt. Juneau...kind of a scruffy start, but thank you for this opportunity to reflect, learn, and improve!

I want to instil a habit of journaling and thought taking the course, spreading it out step by step over a few weeks would help me do that. I keep extensive written journals when I travel. Those journals and the photos are invaluable, but personal observations are thin...sketches and carrying a field journal will help me dig deeper into what I am seeing and feeling, and also slow me down which is good for me. Watching these videos, I was inspired by the use of white space, and liked the idea of boxes, how written details seems to add to the "art" of the pages, various organizational tactics, and the use of shapes to quickly get details down. I also liked how the images sometimes crossed over two pages. My goal is to improve at quick studies, and can gain skills in capturing movement in the subject.

I have been inspired to strengthen my nature journaling skills. When I travel, I always have a journal, small watercolor set and colored pencils. When I look back on my journals, it's the pictures that I most associate with memories rather than the text. I would like to bring these skills into my middle school science classrooms...help students slow down, observe and make more memories from their environment.

for me, it is trying to return to my love for just being outside.  at 62 i have spent much of my adult life working and raising children.  although i live on a farm, taking the time to just BE in nature is rare--always something to do.  i want to nature journal as a gift to myself--to allow myself to slow down and enjoy the wonder of the world around me. i particularly am drawn to the stories of the nature journalists.  i hope that i can create a bit of my own style while copying the beautiful work shared with me here.

I'm an outdoor lover and active birder. I spend as much time outside as I can. Since I live in the upper Midwest, it is highly seasonal how often I can be out. I actually wrote a nature journal in the '80s that my sister illustrated. Since then, I've seen a couple exhibitions with field sketches and botanical illustrations that I thought we stunning and wonderful. So when I saw this class, I immediately wanted to take it. Yet I've been procrastinating and feeling intimidated. I'm not artist, and I'm the type whose stuff should always be 'good.' So it will be a stretch and challenge for me to try this. But it will also be healthy and give me another reason to explore outside.

I have been writing down birds in a journal for some time but have been very intimidated to incorporate drawings in my  because I can't draw. I was encouraged to find that some of the journalers did not have perfect journals. Seeing the different journalers gave me hope that I can incorporate images in my journal.

6/7/20 1. I've enjoyed drawing since childhood, but don't do it as much anymore as it feels hard to make the time between the demands of work and having elementary aged children. I was inspired to start sketching while hiking and camping a few years ago, which led to an interest in nature journaling. When I did, I loved how it really solidified memories of that time and things I experienced. I felt like it enhanced the way I experienced a hike or camping with family in a way that photos or writing alone did not. However, I wished I had some help improving my drawing skills and learning to watercolor, beyond a couple of nature journaling books I have, so this course really interested me. During quarantine, I started drawing daily with my kids, which has been a great way to improve my skill, keep creativity alive & fresh, find some balance at the end of hectic days managing my kids' education and my work, and also to encourage my kids to be creative. We've also been taking walks around the neighborhood and, going the same places so often, have taken notice of the changes in nature as the seasons progress. As a result, I've been inspired to take a page from my kids' nature program and do a weekly "sit spot" in the same area in my yard and create a nature journal page of what I'm noticing that day. I think that could be a really fun record of the changes throughout the year to look back on. 2. I already use a similar style to the first journaler in the video with the boxes and partial boxes and text all around to note observations and questions, as well as a box with place, date, and weather information, so I plan to continue with that. I liked the color swatches another person included too. The last journal was inspiring with the regularity of the drawings (one each day or a month's worth at a time). I don't plan to journal that frequently and prefer more text with the drawings, but it was beautiful and I'd like to aspire to that level of illustration.

Hi, I'm Kelly.  I read through many of the responses to the question and found that I share many of your interests. I love nature, especially birds.  I enjoy drawing and photography, and I keep travel journals to record my experiences. When I saw the course being offered, it felt like the right time to bring all my interests together and to express my outdoor experiences through a creative lens. I'm not sure what approaches I will take, but I am open to the process of dabbling to find what speaks to me. I can't wait to get started and see where this journey takes me!

6/5/20.  Hello to Liz and All:  After I retired as a school social worker over 10 years ago, I decided to volunteer at a nature center.  I also took a sketching course at the East Lansing Community Center and got a wonderful teacher, Sharon Griffis Tarr.  Sharon invited me to take a weekend nature journaling class.  I was hooked.  I just finished my first book, but it took over 5 years.  I had never drawn before  but can attest to what a wonderful experience nature journaling has been.  You don't have to be a perfect artist but your artistic skills improve if you are inspired by nature journaling.  This class looks like the perfect opportunity to get out and appreciate nature, learn and have tons of fun.  I loved the idea of doing a monthly page of little thumbnails of nature around you.  For me, nature journaling imprints a lovely moment in my memory much better than a quick photo.  I look forward to every second I will spend in this class.  MLS

6/4/2020  Hi! My name is Pat.  I recently retired 4/3/2020 and have from now to the rest of my life to do what I enjoy.  I have been a beginner birder for several years.  I am a watercolorist and photographer.  I remember how much better I see when I take the time to sketch the subject.  I had it on my bucket list to get more invloved in ebirds and this seemed like the perfect coarse.  It brings several areas of interest together and I am hoping will inspire my creativity, help me to better identify the species of birds, and provide a journal of my adventures. Pat

6/03/2020  This covid quarantine is lovely for us creative introverts.  I am lucky to be able to telework and my supervisor is encouraging me to explore some story telling projects that couple library research with artistic map making.  I work primarily on computer.  I am treating myself to this course as a way to disengage from technology and re-engage my skills as a draftsperson, artist, and observer.  I like the nature journaling format because there is no pressure to create a work of art (shiver) it allows for experiments, mistakes, and Growth! to happen. I will draw what presents itself.  My husband is retired and gardens and cooks and so there is amazing subject matter to draw right here in my own home.  We have two rat terriers who cavort and snuggle and will be wonderful models, plus we enjoy primitive camping, birding, and fishing and so I will incorporate some landscapes and observations from the wild in my journal too.  It will be a Life Journal. I appreciate seeing and hearing about the nature journals presented in the video.  The journalers could tell us so much about their observation; even the weird little wiggles had a story, thought, and attempt attached to it.  I do like the idea of setting a Rule for myself such as a drawing every day, or placing a box around my drawings...perhaps just starting with the date and location and weather!   Rebecca on her porch in NM: crickets chirping, wind calm, stars twinkling overhead, moths attacking my computer screen...better get drawing!

I have always been very interested in sketching and painting but I have never taken a class or learned from professionals. My grandfather is the one that pushed me out of my comfort zone to begin this course. He is one of the best artists I know. It is always good to get out and try new things. I'm hoping to learn a lot about myself and my abilities during this class. I was very drawn to the first journaling style due to the organization of her pages yet fullness. All her pages were very detailed so she could look back and be able to tell exactly what she was doing and looking at. That's what I hope to achieve in my journal. I do not have any different journaling styles to share but I hope to maybe create my own during this experience.

My path to nature journaling has been a slow progression. I first starting birding about six years ago and for the past two years have dabbled in drawing. The first example of the journals really appealed to me because I always come back to the house and research what I have seen. It would be great to have a page dedicated to each subject, with research added to document my findings. This is a sample from one of my birding journals

I am very excited about this course. I have been doing independent nature journaling for a couple of years. John Muir Laws nature journaling was my inspiration. He has been a valuable resource for guiding me to look at nature more. My goal is to journal daily, in or out of the field. I would like to add more maps with keys, more drawing, more scientific data analysis, plots, and charts. I tend to just write and bullet things I’ve seen. But, transforming this into imagery would be great. I maintain several logs for bird migration, bird species count, butterfly, dragonfly, damselfly, beetle, frog/ toad, and wildflower on either a daily, weekly or when noticed in nature. Nature grounds me. I get so excited when I see seasonal migrants/ flowers and enjoy logging all my findings.

My goal is not the end product but the doing. To be free to experiment and learn new things. Change/not to be afraid to  make mistakes. Sometimes I know this will mean going a little too far, but how will I know if I don't try. Commiting to this I know , whatever the outcome,  that I will be giving myself the gift of seeing - something that happens every time I allow the time for a regular practice of drawing. I will begin to really see  all the wonderous details in everthing I see - throughout the whole day. Can't wait, and so encouraging to see the other journals and read the other comments of people on the journey too! thank you! Joanna

I love capturing the beauty of nature.  It's important to me to record the details.  It helps me to relive the experience.  Writing in a journal is a way to connect to nature.  Viewing other's journals have greatly inspired me.  I began tracing leaves and soon learned the identification. I tend to do more writing then drawing because I'm not a great artist but would like to learn to draw more and add color. The tracing of the leaves helped me put size into perspective.  I filled in the veins by hand, added color to some.  That was an encouraging way for me to do something that looked nice without drawing the full object.

1. I took an introductory art course a couple years ago and learned the basics of drawing and painting but have only done a little bit of painting since I completed the course. I feel painting in a journal may be less intimidating than a stand alone painting. Also, I started birding a little while ago and would like to be able to keep a journal about what I see -- not just the birds but also plants and other animals I may see. Nature journaling seems like the perfect opportunity to allow me to practice drawing and watercolour painting and improve my observational skill. 2. I want to try the combination of drawings, in a box,  and journaling about the experience or observation.I like the structure of having the date, time, place and weather in a small box in the top right corner. I want to try the idea of showing a magnification to show more detail.

I'm inspired to begin nature journaling because the drawings I have made that I really liked in the past have been of nature--particularly a few good bird drawings done from taxidermied specimens, when I took an ornithology course in college. I'd like to practice doing it more, practice drawing from life more, and mix it with the kind of idea gathering journaling that I use to inspire writing. I find that the style I like best is one that intersperses plenty of textual record with drawings, and I really loved the examples with boxes drawn around the artwork after the fact. I expect that I will be doing quite a lot of backyard birds and plants. I want to think about how to use a fountain pen or two in journaling, because I've seen writer friends do that in ways I would love to try out.

Hi, my name is Sally. I really enjoyed watching the videos of the different journaling methods. I would like to start my journaling with date time and weather. I like the insert boxes that show magnified parts of the drawings. I will be using watercolor to begin with and I would like to use a nice script done in a very fine pen. I am a bit of an organised person so I am sure I wont be happy with my journal until I have a method of setting it out. I will probably use loose paper or another pad to jot things down in and to catch my rough drawing then tidy up in my art studio into a more permanent journal. That is just me.  I love nature and can think of no better way of enjoying it than to start a nature journal. I am always taking photos but in doing this I have noticed that I am actually missing out on really seeing the things that I photograph.  I never even knew that nature journaling existed until quite recently and I was thrilled with the idea of making one. What a wonderful way to enhance memories of thing that we see. I am very happy to begin this course.

Hi, my name is Caroline. I bought this course as a birthday/retirement gift to myself! My retirement plan is to live and travel full-time in an RV and to develop my creativity and my ability to express what I'm experiencing in nature. I haven't done a lot of drawing in my life, and I've never really experimented with watercolor or colored pencils, so I'm really looking forward to exploring all these different techniques in the course. I really resonated with the way Jewel used her journal as a memento and a way to share her experiences with others. Also, one of my goals is to learn to distinguish the various colors in what I'm looking at, and to be able to represent those colors in my art, so including the color swatches on the pages appealed to me.

Hello Everyone, my name is Duane. I have to say Liz inspired me to begin this course. I am not sure how I came across the Bird Academy, but I started reading and watching the videos. I have been an artist all through out my life. I live in Alberta and love nature and all things found in it. Biggest part of my goal I have set out to achieve, is to enhance my drawing-painting skills with birds and nature. I have also never written a journal, I think this is fantastic. I feel this excitement to share this learning experience with everyone here.

1. I was inspired to begin nature journaling because I have always loved birds and wildlife.  The last few years I have tried to be outside to get my "nature fix" at least once a day to relieve stress. I am trying to expand my skills with photography and watercolors, as well as remember the wonders that are outside.

Hi my name is Terry and I took the course as a way to do something creative during the lockdown this summer and reconnect with my previous study of Goethean Science.