I just got started with this today. I have always been bird watcher and hiker, and I am also an illustrator and it just seemed like the perfect combo of interests. Plus, we are in the middle of the corona quarantine, the weather is gorgeous, I can only go to my house or outside, so it seems like the perfect time to do it. I suspect a lot of my "field" in my field journal will be in my front and back yards. That's alright though -- we have all of the spring blooms and critters getting into action now. Plus we have tons of trees and the birds around here really like our yard. I suspect my pets and husband's vegetable garden may get featured occasionally in spite of their fully domesticated status.

Just completed participating in the Feeder Watch Project.  My husband and I like feeding and watching the birds.  In addition to bird watching, I used to draw growing up and took a lot of art classes.  I've done photography over the years, but now that I'm retired, I'd like to get back to drawing.  This seemed like a great way to combine my love of nature with my love of drawing.  I haven't used watercolor before, so I'm excited to try!

I'm a biologist, a frequent fieldworker and have always loved to be outside in nature. Would love to explore and learn how to merge my love for watercolours with my love for observing the poetry of every-day tropical life. I'm interested in sketching from landscapes to the animals I see and work with, to be able to have treasured memories for the years to come

Question 1:  What inspired me?    Well, like millions of others I am social distancing.  I am a middle school teacher in rural Colorado and there are only so many hours you can spend in front of the computer screen so I decided to try to enhance my journaling abilities while at home. Question 2: I want to give the "zooming" in aproach a try.  I like this broad/detailed approach.  I have always used colored pencils in my journals in the past, so I am looking forward to working with water colors.

I used to have a small field journal to sketch my bird observations. I haven't done it in over a decade, but when I look back at those journals it transports me back to the time and place. I can picture myself in that location with certain people who are no longer with us. Now that I am working from home due to Covid-19, I wanted to take some time to immerse myself in the nature that surrounds me. I am convinced that by taking the time to truly observe the natural world near my home and the daily changes that are occurring here in early Spring, it will help me through this extraordinarily challenging time for all. Thank you so much for offering this course - the timing is perfect.

I've always been interested in birds and have tried a variety of ways to take in and experience their presence. I'm planning to do more birding, which I've always done informally, and want to be more intentional about learning and experiencing nature. I liked D.J.'s basic sketches which really capture the beauty, shape and positioning of the birds.  And Holly's illustrations were beautiful. While I doubt I can even aspire to that level, her goals and practices of noticing and enjoying part of daily nature walks is something I feel confident I can incorporate into my life.

I've had my eye on this course for a while now, and finally asked for it for my birthday. And? Here I am!  I am outdoorsy and a wanna-be naturalist. I love photographing nature (so proud that one of my photos is in use by my local Audubon Society!), but sometimes I feel that photography reduces, rather than enhances my observational skills. Sketching seems to be not only a practical and creative way to improve one's observation and identification skills, but a beautiful way to "honor" the natural world around me that I love so much. I am a bit nervous. I hope that perfectionist-me can find a way to derive richness and meaning from this activity without being perfect. Or even... good. Thank you.

1. I am inspired to nature journal because I now have a structured way to get started--thank you! 2. I really liked the journal that had the many pictures on one page, and they were all done in a month. I like the idea of reflecting back on that time in your life. It would be good for just every day.

I want to remember everything I see and I love drawing nature.

I guess my journaling is a bit different as some days it is nature and other days it may be a weather girl or something. My daily nature journaling all started when a friend from church had to leave her home and go to another state to be near her son thus moving to assisted living. several years ago. I have sent her a note everyday since she left. It always starts with a sketch from a recent experience and then a story or note about the sketch to bring life into her room besides thinking of being unhappy there. I know I could just put a photo of my bluebird but it is important to me that it be a personal sketch. My goal is to make her smile, laugh or relate to something from her former days. I do not get feedback from her or return notes. I never give up though. It might be a new green with white spots bug I saw running down the street or a bird that was on my feeder and as I mentioned - today it was me as a weather girl being blown and swirled with leaves by the wind. Over time, I also send this to 5 other people that I feel need cheering and inspiration in their day. So my day starts with a sketch and a note not about how they are doing but a story or experience to brighten their day. I also print my sketches as wallet size prints and share them with children at church and all of the adults want one, too. I was interested in the course as it is so me. It is what I do, take nature walks, watch the birds, get excited over the tiniest bug or flower and have a wild story to go with each. I felt perhaps I would learn some hints on how to better my skills. I sketch with a black pen so no erasing and my marks that go astray make my characters take on a charm or character of their own. I will tackle sketching anything I see knowing good and well that I can not do it. However me and my magic pen somehow am able to do it. I amaze myself each time. So that is a bit about my story and my desire for nature journaling. It helped to see other journals and realize that journals do not have to be formal and can be ongoing - like at first a sketch book and later going back and adding notes. I was impressed with the work. I especially like when the page is more about the sketch so far as space and the writing is the minor part that meets the eye. Thank you for sharing.

1-Have a collection of things I’d like to sketch, shells, twigs, very small skulls. Hopefully this course will help me, inspire me, to discipline myself to achieve this. 2-The journal examples are all very nice, each in their own way. I’m not going to pressure myself to do a daily sketch. To learn observation and documenting.

I was inspired by my love of nature and enjoyment of drawing and painting.  I want to use journaling as a means of learning more about the world around me as Shana does by using a straightforward approach to observing nature, drawing and asking questions in the field and researching books and online guides at home.  I like Holly's idea of drawing every day.  I like the look of her pages.  They look refined, with good color and lots of detail.

1. I was actually inspired to start nature journaling by reading a book "Planetwalker" By John Francis. He spent years walking and painting/sketching his surroundings. I have always loved the outdoors (particularly birds) and I did some of my own nature journaling back in college. Now that I'm on a Sabbatical I'm excited to jump back into the practice for my own enjoyment and self-discovery. 2. I like the writing interspersed with drawings. I was more drawn to the less organized journals than the ones that were more formal. I also liked the journals with no lines or grids. 3. I would love to incorporate poetry into my journal as well even if it's just a few lines. It could be my own poetry from that moment or a line or two I'm reminded of while sketching.

I've always loved and been fascinated with nature. I also love crafty, creative things. Nature journaling is the perfect combination of all that I love. It is creative, educational, and a lovely way to record memories. It doesn't take up too much space or require too many expensive supplies. I've never felt like I had any ability to draw, but I've started practicing and after just a few months, I have learned so much. I'm still not good, but I feel like I am beginning to understand the basics of drawing. Patience seems to be the important thing. I found all of the journals impressive, but Holly's was particularly appealing to me. I love that she did a drawing every day one year. Her drawings were so skillful and gorgeous. I can see why she didn't continue it for another year, though. I don't think I'll be that ambitious, but I'd love to reach her level of skill someday.

I really love birds, especially their behaviors. It usually takes me one or two hours to watch a bird  preening, taking shower, foraging... I recorded these views by taking pictures before, but it's hard for me to think deeply about the birds. After access to the nature journaling, I believe its really a good way to record all of the nature. By the way, I also want to record all things about my pet pigeon. I'm wondering if I draw my pet or draw something in the camera without going out, is it still called "nature journaling"?

I thought it was great to see a variety of journals. I’m hard on myself and this helped me realize it is time spent observing and recording that imprints things into my mind. The sketch may not be that great but if I take notes and sketch even something quickly, I will remember the experience vividly. i have always loved recording notes about nature and sketching. I am not very consistent however. I liked the idea of doing a page a month and adding bits throughout the month.  I also would like to do a better job of recording when I’m traveling.  I’m excited to take the class and make this  a habit for myself. I find it is a great way to learn and be more observant.  It is also calming for me to spend time observing nature and sketching what I see.

Not very outdoorsy but I like bird watching. this is a great opportunity to enable me to ID birds. I want to learn to be a better observer. Not sure of the best approach for me is - I am a bit of a scribbler, so we will see how it turns out. Sent free course to 4 friends/relatives --Looking forward to challenging each other to keep at ti.

1) I have been creeping up on this for a number of years.  I have bird watching journals, for more than a decade, but they are mostly lists.  I want to be able to illustrate my bird lists in a more meaningful way. I had a one day bird drawing class a number of years ago, but I haven't continued to practice.  I think committing to a course will encourage me to continue to practice, because I know that's the only way to improve. 2) I really enjoyed seeing all the journals from the students. I hope I'll be able to have an exciting trip some day, too. I liked the tiny daily entries on the first page of Holly Faulkner's journal. I like the idea of "just one thing I see today."

I've always been interested in documenting my travels and adventures. I make scrapbooks when I return from trips and journal just by writing each evening of a trip. But I wanted something more. Even though I feel that I have no drawing skills whatsoever I want to give it a try. I want to include landscapes as well as plants and animals. I like the idea of date, place, time and weather.

I have always loved nature and I enjoy drawing.  When I heard about this course I thought...this is the perfect activity to take up while confined to home during this terrible spread of CoVid 19! I actually kept a type of journal, identifying wildflowers, when I was in my early teens.  I dug it out and here's a picture from it.  I was probably 12 at the time. I think I like the idea of small sketches with details, questions and observations noted on the page. I'm very excited to start this course!

I want to title my journal Nature in the Time of CoVid 19.  I need the beauty and continuity of nature to offset the fear and chaos of this pandemic. I have been able to go outside to walk and sit in peaceful, beautiful, and healing places. Now I want to create a story from these experiences.

I was inspired to begin nature journaling because of my passion for both art and wildlife. Though I love taking photos, making my own is a fun experience, and a new learning opportunity. I think all of the approaches for great, depending on what you are doing, and how you want to personalize that moment yet cherishing it at the same time. Yet I don't have a different journaling idea, I will likely come up with some along the way. I cannot wait to start my path as a nature journalist!

Watching a pileated woodpecker while hiking this week was the most immediate inspiration.  I wanted to somehow capture what I was seeing and also have a way to look more closely but didn't think taking a photograph would be very satisfying.  With more time on my hands because of the COVID-19 crisis, I've decided to try to recapture some of the skills and ways of being, particularly my artistic side that have atrophied.  The way some of the journals use watercolor is particularly appealing to me.  I also love the mix of text and images, especially the use of partial boxes with text.  One of the people who wrote in comments suggested combining poetry with images.  Challenging myself to write a haiku for each image is appealing.

I’m excited to begin a nature journaling habit for a multitude of reasons, but primarily to make a habit of creatively documenting my time in nature to the point where it feels as natural as walking and talking.  I’m now choosing to dislodge all the excuses living in my head - it’s too hard, too cold, too windy, too hot, too much hassle, etc.  I really liked the magnification idea and enjoyed setting goals, such as a drawing a day or filling a page a month.  I, too, chose to take this course as a result of the pandemic.  My husband were evacuated from Zambia while in training for Peace Corps and had rented our house out.  We will now live in our tent trailer out on public land for the foreseeable future and will have much time to observe and draw in nature.

I am looking forward to starting this process and it will be a process for me.  I have never journaled before and certainly never drawn animals before.  But my scout leader was a wonderful artist as a young person and I far as I could tell never continued to draw and paint after she married.  But she did teach me to love to the natural world around me.  I spent most of my time outside when I was growing up and loved observing birds, bugs, animals, plants and trees.  I never thought to create a written journal of what I saw and wouldn't have thought I had the talent to illustrate.  But at 68, it's time I tried both.  I want to take this course to improve my drawing and to learn to use watercolors.  By learning to see and interpret more realistically, I hope to connect more with nature.  I want to be able to leave a very special gift for my grandchildren to cherish.  I need to feel the beauty of nature slip through my fingers onto paper for others to enjoy as I have enjoyed creating it.    It's time.