Nature Journaling
Draw a leaf badly. Write what you notice. Repeat forever.
Nature journaling means sitting outside with a notebook and recording what you observe — sketches, notes, questions, measurements. You do not need to be an artist. The point is noticing, not producing gallery work. A wonky drawing of a beetle teaches you more about beetles than any photo ever will.
How to start
- 1Grab any notebook and a pencil. Fancy supplies are optional.
- 2Go outside. Sit somewhere with living things visible.
- 3Pick one thing — a leaf, a bird, a cloud — and draw it. Write what you notice next to it.
- 4Ask questions on the page: why is this shaped like this? What made that hole?
- 5Date every page. Your journal becomes a record of your attention over time.
What you'll need
- Notebook (any kind)Essential~$3
- PencilEssentialFree
- Colored pencils or watercolor setNice to have~$8
- Hand lens / magnifying glassNice to have~$5
Where to learn more
Plot twists
Ways to spice this up when the basics get boring.
- Focus on a single species for a month — become the neighborhood bird expert
- Journal only at night and document nocturnal life
- Add sound recordings using your phone alongside sketches
- Start a group journal where friends add to the same book
The open-ended format means there's no wrong way to do it. Switching between drawing, writing, and observing keeps the activity fresh every few minutes.
Darwin's journals from the Beagle voyage are essentially nature journals — messy sketches, half-formed questions, and notes like 'curious fact' scribbled in margins.
Similar vibes
If this one didn't land, try one of these.