I ordered a copy of Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth a while ago, and it arrived this week. I’m only about 31 pages into it, but skimming through the rest of it to see what it contains I can see it’s going to be very helpful.
It’s got examples of several different journalling styles, information on what to record when you’re doing a nature journal and exactly what the difference is between reflective journalling and observational journalling (which had never really been explained to me before, though it’s sort of obvious: reflective journalling is one’s own journey, own reactions, beliefs, ideas, etc; observational journalling, such as nature journalling, is recording your observations of people, animals, plants, seasons, weather, etc), an entire chapter on how to draw — yay for unartistic Morag! — a ton of samples from the authors’ own nature journals, an entire section on journalling through the seasons with a chapter for each one, and even a section on how to teach nature journalling to others.
I bought this book because it’s on the recommended reading list for the ADF Dedicant’s Path, and so far I’m not regretting it. Keeping a nature journal is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, but I never knew where the hells to begin. While the info in this book seems obvious as I read it, it’s honestly stuff I wouldn’t have figured out on my own.
I plan on starting nature journalling as soon as I finish the book; I find with “work through me!” books if I start working through it before I read it once I never finish reading it. Also, I need to organize my journals and find an appropriate one, as well as my drawing materials. Everything is totally lost in my house because I cleaned it. (I know, that was stupid, right?)
I may also do a formal-ish book review once I’m finished it, too.
Anyway, I’m excited to start getting to know my local environment. Even though I’m moving in less than two months. Just across the water; Vancouver isn’t going to be that much different. I don’t think.