Jeanne

I've been progressing from simply enjoying the outdoors to actively pursuing knowledge of the natural world around me. I began birding a few years ago, and by that I mean that I started trying to actually identify the birds I was seeing. Learning is the goo of life, and as I became more proficient with the IDs, the goo oozed into learning about habitats, migration, behaviors, and more. As I began this learning adventure, that goo continued to expand to the plants, animals and the sea creatures that share our world. In the last few years I have taken several of the online Cornell courses, which I highly recommend. Through the years, I would write a daily journal page only when I traveled, but I tended to spend a lot of time taking photographs, and I never thought to include drawings and paintings in my journals. My goal in taking this course was to learn how to better document things that stimulate my senses in the field, and to enhance my experiences in the great outdoors.  Drawing and painting do not come easily to me, but I try to keep in mind that what I am doing is just for my pleasure, that I don't have to try to make a masterpiece, and that the doing will not only get my creative juices flowing, but make me a better steward for our beautiful and fragile planet. Though I did not post my pages along the way, I wanted to let Liz know how much I enjoyed her course. She has a wonderful teaching style and I appreciate the detail and demonstrations she provided.  I will continue to practice all of the techniques and tips she taught, and to try to incorporate things that I've learned into my journal pages. Having the ability to refer back to the course as I continue to venture out in nature, increasing my observations skills and enjoying the creativity of journaling, is invaluable and inspiring. I just want to say thank you to Liz Clayton Fuller for sharing her passion and artistic expertise, and say how much I enjoyed taking your course. To say I'm impressed and inspired is an understatement! Many thanks also to Cornell for providing such a wonderful platform for learning. Best to you all....Jeanne