| While lumbering herds of elephants and
| |
| | five minutes per object, and give size
|
| stalking Bengal tigers capture the
| |
| | measurements (you don't need a ruler,
|
| imagination of most animal lovers, we
| |
| | just estimate.) For further learning, try
|
| often neglect the nature closest to us.
| |
| | writing at least one question about each
|
| Sometimes we need a reminder that we are
| |
| | object.
|
| part of a habitat, and that the miracle
| |
| | Now stand up and draw what comes into
|
| of life exists under our very noses.
| |
| | view at eye level. Label the object and
|
| Educator and naturalist Carolyn Duckworth
| |
| | describe what it's doing, or what it is
|
| has said, "If you want to understand and
| |
| | part of.
|
| become connected to your environment,
| |
| | Look up from where you are standing.
|
| keeping a field journal is one of the
| |
| | Record what you see above, and how it
|
| fastest ways to accomplish this goal."
| |
| | makes you feel.
|
| Studies have found that children today
| |
| | Nature journals are not just for artists.
|
| consider nature to be somewhere else-on
| |
| | Don't worry if your renderings look like
|
| TV, videos, in the National Geographic
| |
| | scribbles. The point is that you are
|
| only. But in reality, a genuine
| |
| | connecting to your environment.
|
| connection to wildlife around the globe
| |
| | Some questions you may use to direct your
|
| is only an extension of a connection to
| |
| | journaling, and deepen your connection to
|
| the earth right where you stand. Good
| |
| | the life around you are:
|
| naturalists don't gain their knowledge
| |
| | What are the trees in my neighborhood?
|
| from formal schooling, they get it in the
| |
| | When do they bloom? What do their fruits
|
| field, by direct observation. And this
| |
| | and seeds look like? What insects use the
|
| observation can start right in your
| |
| | trees? When do they shed their leaves?
|
| backyard or at the park down the street.
| |
| | How do their seeds get to new sites to
|
| This article will offer pointers for
| |
| | grow?
|
| keeping a nature journal. It draws
| |
| | What birds live in my neighborhood? What
|
| heavily on the program laid out in the
| |
| | is their activity at various times of the
|
| book Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a
| |
| | day? How do different species of birds
|
| Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around
| |
| | interact with each other?
|
| You by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E.
| |
| | What kinds of insects gather around the
|
| Roth.
| |
| | light at my doorway each night throughout
|
| The tools needed to start nature
| |
| | the year?
|
| journaling are simple and inexpensive.
| |
| | When and where do mushroom species appear
|
| One needs a notebook and something to
| |
| | in my neighborhood?
|
| write with. Experimentation will reveal
| |
| | Using questions like these you may find
|
| your personal preferences for lined or
| |
| | yourself discovering both the landscape
|
| clear paper, binding type, size, and lead
| |
| | you live on, and the landscape that lives
|
| or ink. As you gain experience you may
| |
| | in you. Those who keep a journal know
|
| add a small set of watercolor paints or
| |
| | that journaling is a form of journeying,
|
| colored pencils. If you use pencils you
| |
| | and a well-kept journal can become a
|
| may need a sharpener, or you can use
| |
| | treasured record of where we have been,
|
| mechanical pencils, which yield more
| |
| | what we have seen, and what we have felt
|
| technical-looking drawings. You may also
| |
| | as we've interacted with the world.
|
| use a collecting bag for objects that you
| |
| | You don't have to visit the glaciers of
|
| want to draw and study indoors. (Although
| |
| | Alaska, or India's jungles, or the
|
| you should collect only fallen objects,
| |
| | savannahs in Africa to connect to Mother
|
| where permission is given).
| |
| | Earth, although who of us wouldn't jump
|
| There are no hard and fast rules for
| |
| | at the chance? Start by putting roots
|
| nature journaling, although entering
| |
| | down right where you stand.
|
| observations using a heading is good
| |
| | "It seems only natural that we should
|
| practice. For your heading you may
| |
| | value most what we are in contact with
|
| include your name, the date and time (it
| |
| | everyday...yet the reverse is often true.
|
| doesn't have to be an accurate clock
| |
| | We appear to place a higher value on rare
|
| time), the place, weather conditions,
| |
| | animals and plants and spectacular views
|
| your first impressions, wind direction
| |
| | and far-flung places. Of course both are
|
| (use a compass for this), and cloud
| |
| | important because they fulfill different
|
| patterns and cloud cover.
| |
| | needs. But the every day places
|
| To get started you may find this sequence
| |
| | desperately need our attention-partly
|
| of observations helpful, as it gets you
| |
| | because they are changing so fast, and
|
| in the habit of observing all around you:
| |
| | not always for the better, and also
|
| Start by looking at the ground. Get a
| |
| | because tremendous benefit is to be
|
| close up view of individual objects. Try
| |
| | gained from a personal involvement with
|
| to draw one or more in your journal,
| |
| | your own locality.
|
| labeling each item. Take no more than
| |
| |
|
