Nature Journaling and Me

The sky hangs low and grey, threatening rain. Mist shrouds the mountains, adding an eerie ambiance that’s hard to shake. Journaling has been difficult with the birds few and far between at my feeders. With the mists, watercolors smear and pencil lines fade, so journaling from my window is best.

I started nature journaling this past year. It’s been a fun challenge to stretch my abilities and explore a new way to record what I see. I started keeping a diary when I was a preteen, and have always made comments about the natural world. When I was in college, I started writing poetry while doing field work. I would compose a poem on the back of worksheets and field notes, on napkins and in texts to myself.

Keeping a nature journal felt like the next step. Words are something I don’t struggle with- as the miles of diaries attest- but art is hard. I’ve never been artistic, despite loving photography and handcrafts. I would struggle through a drawing, but would abandon it as it didn’t meet my standard for perfection. I dropped art and returned to words, but after I felt like my journals were missing soul.

I came to a turning point this past fall, when I participated in an online nature journaling workshop. John Muir Laws, with Take Me Outside presented on how to start nature journaling and bring it to others. For the first time, I realized that nature journals don’t have to be an artistic experience. While drawing and painting are intrinsic to the concept, nothing has to be perfect.

My inner perfectionist felt relief. I didn’t have to exactly render the things I was seeing. Simple is a great starting place. I didn’t have to have a MoMA level piece on every page- even a scribble is better than nothing. I drew my first entry and made notes in the corners of the pages. It was not the beautiful aesthete work of John Muir Laws- but it was my work. What I don’t have is the decades of experience of him and the others online, but one hour’s worth of experience.

That first hour has turned into a few more… and now a weekly routine. I’m more connected to the landscape around me than ever before. While I’ve taken thousands of pictures of the park and my walks, taking the time to draw has created more depth. I’ve enjoyed exploring my yard the most- there’s more to see each day I go out with my journal and pencil.

Coming in the next few weeks will be more supplies, rounding out my kit. One of my goals for 2025 involves working in my nature journal at least three times per week. I’m starting off strong with Nature Journaling January with the Wild Wonder Foundation. Each day will have a different theme and reason for breaking into my journal to reflect on the world around me.

On top of my goals and planned projects, I’ll be starting a nature journaling group at Bald Eagle State Park. Our first meeting will be on January 18th at 1:00pm in the Environmental Learning Center. We will be journaling about Pennsylvania fossils using samples from my collection. I’m excited for this club and am looking forward to meeting other nature journalers in my area.

I’m leaving 2024 with a strong sense of accomplishment. Besides starting my nature journal, I started this blog, which has brought a ton of joy to my life. One of my life’s goals is to write about Pennsylvania’s outdoors and natural resources. Exploring this topic via my blog and nature journal has helped me feel fulfilled and excited. Without these two things, I wouldn’t be as excited as I am for 2025!