I am an avid hiker and when I was younger considered myself an artist. I want a way to try to connect my dormant artistic talent with the nature I enjoy everyday. i like the idea of boxing things out and including questions and info you find later.

I'm a travel writer and would like to incorporate nature journaling into my practice. I think it will give me a unique perspective on my travels and the natural world within them. I would prefer to keep my journals somewhat open, with just one or two main sketches, as well as notes, per page. That said, I also really liked the journaler who practiced once per month and had several sketches per page. I'm eager to try sketching both animals and landscape formations, such as rocks and beaches.

I've looked at this course several times and have taken online classes with Liz and enjoyed them very much.  What tipped me over (besides the sale) is reading through the discussions.  Everyone seems to enjoy the course and take part of discussions.  Journaling is an excuse for me to go out by myself and slowly take in nature instead of a hiking pace with friends.  It gives me quiet time and I can concentrate on what is around me.  I've recently retired and am getting into birding so it all fits in together. Not sure what my journal will look like, probably mostly sketches.  Just whatever my hand is inspired to do!

1.  Wildlife photography is a hobby that I love.  I've wanted to start a personal journal and have started and stopped many time because I would loose interest.  I love the idea of combining art and writing.  I had just completed a bird photography course with Melissa Groos and came across this course and it seemed like a great way to incorporate my two interests. 2.  I really want to try the monthly journal.  I'm not sure if I could stick to a daily journal but was thinking I could definitely commit to putting together a monthly journal.  I take ALOT of pictures and thought I could use many of my pictures a reference for my nature journal.  I love the idea of having a reference at the end of the year to look back and remember different sightings thoughout the year.  I'm excited to try. 3.  I like the idea of using some of my photographs as a reference.  For example I took this picture of a female and male red belly woodpecker at my feeder.  Maybe using the image as a reference to draw them but doing research afterwards to learn more about these beautiful birds. 3.  I 

I have always been drawn toward nature, spending my life on a farm and in the mountain wilds or the ocean with my grandparents. I feel calmer, healthier, in nature. For a long time, I've abandoned nature drawing because of self-criticism. I use a lot of zentangle doodling for relaxation, but I felt like I was missing out on something by never going outside and trying to draw in nature. I sincerely hope this class will help me reconnect in nature and release some of that criticism. I love the idea that there can be little blurbs all over a page- and that some of them may not be finished- but that by blending writing and illustration, a memory can be made (as someone with a TBI and difficulty forming memories, this is particularly alluring to me.) I think I'll try to include some lunar details on my page- what moon phase we're in, for example- because I love seeing if nature changes with the moon (tides, seasons, etc)

Professionally I was an engineer but on retirement I went back to college to do fashion and textiles. I have never been good at drawing but I particularly enjoyed fashion illustration and it's ability to quickly catch shape, texture and movement with great economy. I have always taken photographs but am inspired by the idea of hand worked journals, both for personal memories of visits to local woods and also as a means of better seeing. The guidance of this course looks perfect.

I recently retired and moved to the Pacific Northwest.  This new environment is uniquely different from the my California  origins.  I am learning how to sketch.  I am an avid hiker and would love to sit and draw something to remind me of what I saw, heard and felt.  I love the idea of formally keeping track of time, date, location and weather.  I also like the idea of writing questions that come up as I observe.  I have never journaled before, so I am not certain how it all works.  How do you sketch a bird who flies away as soon as you get close enough to sketch it?  I think I will start with plants that don't move very fast.

1.  A friend said he had started drawing and he believes anyone can do it.  I am retiring in 1 week and will have more time.  I love nature, especially birds.  Journaling may provide an opportunity for me to go deeper. 2.  I may want to enter the date and place, but do not want to get to data-oriented.  I spent most of my career deep into data.  I want to explore the feeling side. 3.  Maybe record how I am feeling when I start and how I am feeling when I finish an entry?

I nature journal with my children as it is part of our homeschool curriculum.  I am still exploring and refining my style as well as developing the technical artistic skills.  This introduction has been helpful in showing the various possibilities to incorporate in my journal.  I was drawn to the journals that balanced the drawings and word descriptions.  It's often difficult to do both at any given time.  I feel like I need to keep two separate journals.  One a quick /daily entry that gives me drawing practice and a less frequent but more detailed entry once a month that gives me time to delve into deeper observation and description.

I’ve been taking watercolor classes but find what I enjoy most is focusing on elements of nature—a bird, an orchid, leaves, rock walls—rather than fully realized scenes or landscapes.And I want to get better at drawing, and seeing, the details. I’m a nonfiction writer. Nature journaling might lead me in new directions; I’m intrigued by the posibilities in that. Daily journaling seems like too much pressure and monthly not enough but I like the idea of a discpline until it becomes a regular practice. I’ll begin with weekly drawing.

Being a decoy carver of shorebirds wanted to be able to draw better patterns so went online, found John Muir Laws site. Started watching a couple of videos on journaling and it looked like fun and have always enjoyed drawing.  Came across this course on his site and though it would be fun to take and make me do it instead of talking about it.

1. I've started a nature journal to chart the progress of a wildlife garden I began on retirement (2019) and have been developing since. Photos are okay, but they don't really encourage the fine attentiveness and enhancement of memory that journaling seems to cultivate. Here's a photo of my front garden in July 2021:

I've been an avid hiker (and mushroom forager) for years and as time goes on I'm focusing more and more on observing nature and learning while I'm outside--I've also been getting back into drawing and sketching, so nature journaling combines several interests of mine and gives me a way to slow down and process what I see and experience outside.  I was first introduced to nature journaling through Claire Walker Leslie's work and I've been inspired to learn more.  I look forward to honing my observation skills and learning new ways to translate my experiences into journal entries. One thing I'm excited to try is field sketching--currently, most of my drawing happens when I get home and sit down to look at photos and notes that I've taken.   I'm also excited to integrate watercolors into my journaling.

What inspired me to begin nature journaling is my backyard built by my husband from scratch.  Native plants as well adapted plants surround the L-shaped back yard and most of them attract wildlife.  I want to capture the evolution of the plants and how wildlife take advantage of nature to survive.  Then the backyard of my house will have a nature journal to be transmitted to the next generation. I like the idea of picturing geometrical shapes to start a sketch and developing from them.  I also like the water color addition to highlight details.

For the past couple of years, I have been keeping lists of birds that I see each day--and I have really enjoyed doing that. But I wanted to take it to another level and add more observations. So I would like to expand what I already do to add more narrative and some pictures--that's the part that is intimidating. I have never drawn or painted but I am excited to begin.

I am one of those "who cannot draw a stick figure", so I am looking forward to this course. One thought... Shayna showed how she would "zoom" a portion of her sketch. I think I will use the clip-on macro lens I have for my camera phone to do precisely that... get some detail that one cannot see otherwise. Cool, eh? For example, this is a photo of a blackfoot daisy bloom that has a small spider poised to catch lunch. The bloom is half inch across, so the detail is not readily available to the naked eye.

I've  tried nature Journaling before, but never stuck with it long enough to fill the notebook. I am a watercolorist, but I've  been away from it for a while. Since I've  just moved to a new state. I want to start by learning all the different  kinds of trees that grow here and the native plants. I used to paint birds, and I found it was a good way to learn about them. I'm  very interested in doing a page for each month and adding little drawings of individual items as the month progresses. I already have some photos of the lovely woods around here.

I have always loved the idea of nature journaling. I have ensured that my kiddos always have their journals with them on hikes and trips. Then I realized that my own nature journals were so blank! I am ready to invest time into my own journals -- I like the idea of a daily sketch -- and the monthly one for accountability.  I am looking forward to the rest of this course

This was a gift, an early Christmas present.  I am doing more and more bird watching these days.  I am drawn to the casual, the in the moment combination of sketching and journalling. I liked the diversity of the formats and methods shown.  I will probably draw something first, or several somethings.  I will also probably take pictures of sketches I like and use filters, etc.  I may even paste printouts of altered sketches in the journal.

I love drawing, just do not seem to have the time on a regular basis. We've been doing a backyard native plant restoration project and I was inspired to document the changes over time and species that visit. I like the idea of documenting time and place and weather and just jumping in with images and explanatory text. I am also going to try to incorporate this into one of my classes and share what I learn with my students.

       Since I love learning about ornithology, I have been drawing and taking notes on birds and sometimes other animals. This is also been a class that my mom and I have been wanting to do together. I would love to make my drawings more colorful and realistic when I am journaling. I would also like to use my journal for other animals and plants besides birds. 

1.  I love nature and the peaceful feeling that I get reconnecting with nature. Nature journaling should allow me to slow down and improve my drawing and painting skills.   2.  I think I might try the boxing in style.  3.  Nothing different, but might evolve into something a bit different as I go along.

I love the idea of capturing a month on a page.  It is not as intensive as having a journal entry for every day but still captures the highlights of a month of observation.  It is a great way to remember the month and relive those moments.

I'm inspired to use a journal to be fully present and notice specific details as well as the amazing scope of the place I'm in.  I'm eager to learn and observe more of the small bits that fascinate me before I move on to the next thing.  I'm also hoping that journaling and sketching will help me focus and use time wisely as I recovery from surgery and am unable to walk much for the next few weeks. I'm in awe of the artistic skill level of these journal sharers.  I feel like I'm not far beyond lollipop trees and snowmen and happy faces. THe colors in these journals are jaw-dropping--they look like the sea and clouds could just wash over me.

oops, I moved too fast :)