I work almost entirely in text but I've been getting into bird watching in my urban neighborhood quite a bit lately. I started with some amateur photography but I've also been reading quite a bit about "drawing to see" in my discipline. As I develop new projects on climate change and precocity, I've been thinking about how valuable nature journaling can be as a method. I'm stoked to see so much text interspersed alongside the illustrations. I think that mix will help me transition (as someone who falls into that category of "I don't know how to draw...at all...seriously"). I also like that the "mistakes" are present and there and serve a purpose. It all feels so embodied and processual.

1. The idea has been floating around in my mind (as a means be outside, draw, and learn), but crystallized when I saw a fellow birder in Costa Rica drawing in his journal.  He recommended this course. 2. Lots of good ideas illustrated in the various journals.  The most important was that if you have paper and a writing/drawing implement, you can create a journal entry.

I've been taking a drawing class, and drawing regularly for the first time in decades. I like drawing birds and flowers, and thought this class might help with that.

I volunteer at a National Park, and I want to have a record of how the park changes during the year as well as the different species of plants and animals. The structure of the broken boxes was really nice, but I also liked the more repetitive  drawing of the birds as a way to learn more about their behavior and anatomy.

1. What inspired you to begin nature journaling? When I bumped into this course  a couple of weeks ago , I realized that my relation with nature has been fading away for a too long time.  Upon browsing through the introductions and videos, vivid flashbacks from my childhood popped up.   At that time, way back in the sixties, I spent my summer holidays at my uncle’s cottage  in the middle of a large marshland reserve. There was also bird ring station where I helped him with catching, ringing, and registering the migrating birds. My uncle taught me the names and calls of the local birds and I remember how he encouraged me to make small sketches to memorize their identification features.  And so, a new life long bird watcher was created… Not only  the  adventurous birding activities, but also the natural abundance and magic atmosphere of the marsh wildlife connected  my soul with all living beings.  Later on, as life became very busy, I  dedicated my limited free time in nature on short walks while  taking pictures of plants and birds. Eventually I found my way into  Miksang  photography.  This is  a meditative practice through taking pictures  based on a direct and unbiased observation of pure forms and connections.  (https://www.miksang.com/) . Now I am heading for my retirement, it is time to resurrect that dormant inner child. I look forward to  embrace nature more intimately through a direct dialogue, free from technology and I believe that the pure act of drawing  is a perfect way to accomplish this.    A drawing hand triggers an authentic interaction of my body, and my heart with the land and all living beings around me. However, there is a small practical problem: The last drawing I made was more than forty years ago… So, there is a steep way to go  to develop my drawing skills and that’s the place where  this course comes in… Let’s go for it!   2. Which ideas or approaches do you want to try? 3. Do you have a different journaling idea, I  recognize that  boxes are very helpful to provide or a more clear layout. On the other hand, I  also attach importance  of  harmonious  empty spaces on the pages. Unlike drawing, I  have been journaling for several years by writing (haiku) poems or contemplative pieces of prose.  So, it is quite evident  to combine them with my sketches.  They will be  a great source of inspiration for other artwork such as so called  ‘haiga’.  Haiga is from origin a Japanese art form where  a haiku, calligraphy  and a  picture are combined.  Both picture and poem complement each other in expressing an experience triggered by an observation in nature. This condemns me also to a course in  calligraphy .. Whatsoever, my journaling style will be fluid and evolving just as nature does.  Only the present moment will tell me which technique I will apply.  So I guess I will experiment with a couple of styles and I will just let my style evolve as I become more skillful and mindful.

1. What inspired you to begin nature journaling? When I bumped into this course  a couple of weeks ago , I realized that my relation with nature has been fading away for a way too long time.  Upon browsing through the introductions and videos, vivid flashbacks from my childhood popped up.   At that time, way back in the sixties, I spent my summer holidays at my uncle’s cottage  in the middle of a large marshland reserve. There was also bird ring station where I helped him with catching, ringing, and registering the migrating birds. My uncle taught me the names and calls of the local birds and I remember how he encouraged me to make small sketches to memorize their identification features.  And so, a new life long bird watcher was created… Not only  the  adventurous birding activities, but also the natural abundance and magic atmosphere of the marsh wildlife connected  my soul with all living beings.  Later on, as life became very busy, I  dedicated my limited free time in nature on short walks while  taking pictures of plants and birds. Eventually I found my way into  Miksang  photography.  This is  a meditative practice through taking pictures  based on a direct and unbiased observation of pure forms and connections.  (https://www.miksang.com/) . Now I am heading for my retirement, it is time to resurrect that dormant inner child. I look forward to  embrace nature more intimately through a direct dialogue, free from technology and I believe that the pure act of drawing  is a perfect way to accomplish this.    A drawing hand triggers an authentic interaction of my body, and my heart with the land and all living beings around me. However, there is a small practical problem: The last drawing I made was more than forty years ago… So, there is a steep way to go  to develop my drawing skills and that’s the place where  this course comes in… Let’s go for it!   2. Which ideas or approaches do you want to try? 3. Do you have a different journaling idea, I  recognize that  boxes are very helpful to provide or a more clear layout. On the other hand, I  also attach importance  of  harmonious  empty spaces on the pages. Unlike drawing, I  have been journaling for several years by writing (haiku) poems or contemplative pieces of prose.  So, it is quite evident  to combine them with my sketches.  They will be  a great source of inspiration for other artwork such as so called  ‘haiga’.  Haiga is from origin a Japanese art form where  a haiku, calligraphy  and a  picture are combined.  Both picture and poem complement each other in expressing an experience triggered by an observation in nature. This condemns me also to a course in  calligraphy .. Whatsoever, my journaling style will be fluid and evolving just as nature does.  Only the present moment will tell me which technique I will apply.  So I guess I will experiment with a couple of styles and I will just let my style evolve as I become more skillful and mindful.

I love to paint and draw, especially outdoors, but have never kept a journal of those times as such.  Thought this would be a fun new project.  Stay tuned for results

I hope to use nature journaling to calm focus and engage my mind.

1. What inspired me to begin nature journaling? When I bumped into this course  a couple of weeks ago , I realized that my relation with nature has been fading away for a too long time.  Upon browsing through the introductions and videos, vivid flashbacks from my childhood popped up.   At that time, way back in the sixties, I spent my summer holidays at my uncle’s cottage  in the middle of a large marshland reserve. There was also bird ring station where I helped him with catching, ringing, and registering the migrating birds. My uncle taught me the names and calls of the local birds and I remember how he encouraged me to make small sketches to memorize their identification features.  And so, a new life long bird watcher was created… Not only  the  adventurous birding activities, but also the natural abundance and magic atmosphere of the marsh wildlife connected  my soul with all living beings.  Later on, as life became very busy, I  dedicated my limited free time in nature on short walks while  taking pictures of plants and birds. Eventually I found my way into  Miksang  photography.  This is  a meditative practice through taking pictures  based on a direct and unbiased observation of pure forms and connections. Now I am heading for my retirement, it is time to resurrect that wondering  child. I look forward to  embrace nature more intimately through a direct dialogue, free from technology and I believe that the pure act of drawing  is a perfect way to accomplish this.    A drawing hand triggers an authentic interaction of my body, and my heart with the land and all living beings around me. However, there is a small practical problem: The last drawing I made was more than forty years ago… So, there is a steep way to go  to develop my drawing skills and that’s the place where  this course comes in… Let’s go for it! 2. Some ideas or approaches I have now I  learnt from the examples that   boxes are helpful to provide or a more clear layout. On the other hand, I  feel that  a harmonious  distribution of  empty spaces is also important. Unlike drawing, I  have been journaling for several years by writing (haiku) poems or contemplative pieces of prose.  So, it is quite evident  to combine them with my sketches.  They will be  a great source of inspiration for other artwork such as so called  ‘haiga’.  Haiga is from origin a Japanese art form where  a haiku, calligraphy  and a  picture are combined.  Both picture and poem complement each other in expressing an experience triggered by an observation in nature. Whatsoever, my journaling style will be fluid and evolving just as nature does.  Only the present moment will tell me which technique I will apply.  So I guess I will experiment with a couple of styles and I will just let my style evolve as I become more skillful and mindful. Koen D.

Hi, I'd like to respond to question #2. I was delighted by the varying  levels of the students art abilities in the video; how being a beginner wasn't a factor in determining the importance each student's journal had for them personally. What was important was the memories and learning their journals recorded and recalled. Kathy B.

What inspired me? I love to observe nature and often spend time in my garden taking photos.  Journaling, observing and sketching strikes me as a more intimate activity, and it will force me to slow down and get grounded. I have a crazy job that often feels like a time-warp. Communing with nature will shift perspective to things that are truly important. In any case, the course popped up in my email and the reaction was visceral - this appeals to me. What will my journal look like? As I have no sketching or drawing experience, it will probably be more script-heavy with its-bitsy drawings until I develop the confidence to try something bigger. I appreciated all of the journals and the different approaches. I'll give my style time to develop and will focus on enjoying the experience. What is exciting is that the journey will be memorable!

I decided to take this course for several reasons. I have been trying to learn the birds in my backyard and realized that many are very similar. Careful observations are required to discern similar species such as Down and Hairy woodpeckers. But I've also been taking drawing and watercolor classes recently. I think that combining this all together in nature journalling will strengthen all of those skills: my ability to identify birds, my ability to sketch and my watercolor techniques. Observing nature will make me not take everything so seriously -- quick sketching and lots of it will help me get better as opposed to treating each attempt as the Sistine Chapel!

• I've been journalling for years, but usually when I get home from the field. I've usually worked from my photos of the subjects.  I love the nature journals shown in these videos, especially the gesture drawings of birds moving.  I hope to learn how to do that.  I'm showing a photo here of a page from a nature journal I began while on a trip to discover the natural beaches of Old Tampa Bay, Florida.  I decided to incorporate  the two shells just for this photograph, to give the drawing a 3D look.

I've always enjoyed drawing natural objects. I like to document changes in seasons and nature with photos, but I don't feel that I do it often enough or with any consistency. I'm hoping to establish a regular practice or drawing and writing. Seeing the journals in the video was very inspiring. They range from having great style to being very practical. I like both the ones that are finished pieces of art and those that are full of studies and sketches and notes that show a thought and observation process. I'm going to try several of the approaches and see what works best for me. I would love if one day, Like DJ, I could submit drawings to iNaturalist.

I am a lifelong observer of nature.  I spend a lot of time hiking, birding, canoeing and walking wherever I find myself.  I want to be more attentive to the details of what I see and develop ways of bringing together my observations with study.  The course will give me a framework for getting started.  I enjoyed seeing the various styles and approaches to journaling.  Each one had elements that I'd like to consider.  I am committed to allowing myself to make mistakes!

I love to draw, and want to keep challenging myself with more complicated drawing. I think I like the last journal set-up in the video.

1/ What inspired me? Well I have to admit that when I signed up for this course I wasn't exactly sure what constituted a "nature journal" and after this lesson I have a much better idea and am much more inspired! We bought a cottage a few years ago and I have had more time to spend there kayaking and hiking and love observing the amazing nature and seasons as they change. At the same time I recently signed up for some beginner art lessons but found myself frustrated as I felt uninspired and unsure of what exactly I wanted to draw or paint. I DID know that what they were teaching was NOT what I wanted to learn and gradually realized that I had more interest in learning to use art to capture plants and birds around me and thus decided to sign up for this course as a way to learn more about how I could do that.  We also enjoy travelling (most recently to the amazingly lush rainforest area of Costa Rica -- our fourth trip) and I want to be able to use art to allow me absorb and record what I see when we do.   2/ It was wonderful toto  see a variety of other journals and approaches to nature journalling in order to understand what it is, and also to see a range of skill levels and art abilities so beginners like myself are a little less intimidated! I appreciate the idea of recording place, time and even weather as well as some observations in print (not all has be visual!) as a reminder of the day.  I was amazed at Holly's journal -- that is goals. One day I would like to be able to draw in such detail!  I appreciated and would consider making a "month at a glance" type picture-journal to record the changes that seasons bring (we have very noticeable seasonal changes where I live!).  I also will cut myself some slack and allow some less-than-perfect or incomplete sketches to exist as records of what I saw, as the woman with hummingbird drawings and the gentleman with bird sketches.

I work as an ecologist and spend a lot of time in the field in pretty cool places. This year, I want to challenge myself to beef up my naturalist skills, and I think nature journaling will help me get to know the flora and fauna in my backyard and in the places I’m working. I imagine my journal will mostly be a catalog of plants and animals that I see both in my neighborhood and in the environments in which I work. I am particularly fond of plants. From the examples, I think I’d like focusing each page on a single specimen with both a sketch and some notes about the species and where I saw it. I have often journaled when I travel and I am excited to add a visual element and a more daily routine to my journaling exercise. Since I’m often gawking at the natural world, a nature journal seems like a great idea.

Drawing something would make me pay attention to detail and deeper learning. I was hoping to learn and identify birds better by drawing them. It is intimidating to look at different journals. I am hoping to establish my own idea and style about nature journaling little by little over time.

My friend is section hiking the thousand mile long Ice Age Trail here in Wisconsin.  I am walking some parts with her.  When our legs start to tire and our goal seems still far away we make up Haiku.  Haiku distraction.  I would love to be able to compile some of those Haiku and add illustrations for her as a gift when she completes the trail.  Feeling a little skeptical about learning to draw and paint but excited too.  Thanks for all of your thoughtful comments - they are very encouraging!

1. Last summer I began spending more time outside on our new deck, intentionally. I started finding bugs and leaves that were interesting to look at, and I decided to try to draw them. I inevitably had questions about them, as I spent time drawing, and ended up googling info about what they were and why they looked the way they did. I was surprised at how much I learned just by observing — and waiting for questions to emerge from my wondering. I was also surprised at the feeling of satisfaction that I got from delving into questions that came to mind. At first I was going to keep a scrapbook of all my tiny scraps of paper with drawings of bugs and leaves. But I guess I could just keep them all bound in a journal...except my big worry is that I make a lot of “first attempt” drawings that are total fails. I’m not sure I want to have them bound in a journal along with the drawings I might be satisfied with.  I like to remember my successes, not my failures. Haha. 

I've been fooling around with nature journaling for years but have not really been regular enough at it to develop a style or a habit.  I appreciated seeing the various journals and way people approached them.  I am hoping to be able to record scientific observations but hope to record some beautiful memories as well. I really liked the images that were popping out of the boxes that Shayna had.  The drawings seemed more immediate and alive that way.

It didn't inspire me much about the journaling about nature. Well, it did in the sense that I can always go to the nature and 'jour" a little bit. And also, about my personal life, family stories, I can also use the journaling method. It does not only apply to nature but also spirituality, life, work, anything you like. Draw it down and start writing about them. It provides a memory and a solid ground to remind you that you have been through a lot and you are wistful/wise. I guess it's a therapy too. It shows you can get something done.

This is an ecological phenomena that I came across in Georgian Bay (part of Lake Huron) on a canoe trip.  It was 2011, just about the time I began to draw and paint, so I was just taking photos of cool things like this.  This is on an island in Georgian Bay and the pool was made by wave action working small stones in a pit which I imagine were most effective during the winter storms and similar to ones I had seen in rivers were the current was accomplishing the same job.  The stones scoured out more and more of the base stone and could be seen in the bottom.  As well, the pond above in the picture contained frogs, being just the right environment for them.  The pond was no doubt the result of rain water being contained in a low spot.  I visited this place in subsequent years and noticed that due to lack of rain that year there were no frogs.  I often think about this place and wish I had been nature journaling earlier in my life!

I have always enjoyed learning from nature. I have just recently added sketches and watercolors.  I have often used photographs and video as a way of capturing the moment.  However it does add another level of observation when I uses sketching and watercolors.  I also want to increase my skills in scientific drawings and painting.  So I want to journal with sketches to deepen my understanding of nature, increase my skills as an artists.  I also want to learn how to create a drawing while observing nature directly and not just from photographs.  In looking at the different styles of journals I like combining both text and images including rough sketches.  I also want to take some of the favorite subjects and use my observations to create a detailed drawing including watercolors.  I might do the first level in the sketch pad and create more finished paintings in the album format.    I also like using a nature journal to serve as a memory album for a trip.  I did a little of this on a trip to Alaska this  summer.  One of my drawings is included below.  I may also use it to grow my observations for a particular theme like life in a natural aquarium I am keeping in my house using organisms from area lakes, or a study to study the birds (esp blue jays) at my feeder. I also like drawings that tell a story.  In my drawing I found it  interesting that the Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese freely intermingled and flew together at the site of the Sandhill Crane Festival in Fairbanks Alaska.