Nature Journal Notes

It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through May and we haven’t even gone on an official Nature Quest! This idea is taken from Clare Walker Leslie’s book, The Nature Connection, which perfectly lays out all the best ways to embrace nature in each month. There’s a lot going on in the month May, birds are arriving for the Summer, flowers are blooming, animals are going through metamorphosis and so much more! Here are some things you can do this May to help you embrace the changing world around you (all from The Nature Connection).

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1. Take a walk outdoors and imagine you lived 2,500 years ago!

• What might have changed in 2,500 years? Would it look so different? What definitely wouldn’t be here? What would you be wearing? You can think about the different decades and centuries and how things have changed from even just 5 or 10 years ago! You may find that some things were probably still around, even hundreds of years ago.

​2. Lie under a tree for fun

• We’ve all got a bunch of free time these days, but do we have enough tree time? Sitting under a tree and looking up is a great way to get outside and have a moment of peace and quiet all to yourself. This time of year, many trees are in full bloom and are exceptionally beautiful to observe. Try to find a tree in bloom. Sit back and listen to the bees buzzing as you watch the delicate petals give in to gravity and float to the ground.

​3. Imagine you live in some magical place

• An escape sounds like a great idea right about now! Give in to your imagination and create a world that is all yours. What kind of animals would there be? What would they look like? Would they act in any certain way? What kind of plants would there be? You can even describe your world and include it in your nature journal!

​4. Make a collage or mobile of your local leaf shapes

• How many different shaped leaves can you find outside? Collect some of your favorite leaves and find a unique way to display them! You can stick them between two pieces of contact paper, or iron them in wax paper. You can even paste your leaves onto a pre-cut piece of cardboard in any shape that you can imagine! Collect sticks and twigs to create a mobile with your leaves! Keep track of all of the colors, shapes and types of leaves you find.

​5. Learn about some of the leaves you should not pick

• You can create a personal survival guide outlining which plants you should avoid to be safe and what they look like! Poison Ivy is a huge nuisance in our area and can cause severe reactions in some people. Figure out what you can look for to identify this pesky plant! “Leaves of three, let it be” is my favorite Poison Ivy tip – can you think of any others?

6. Relax with a good book

• Try to find a book that has some kind of nature or animal related theme. Some suggestions from The Nature Connection are:
  1. Redwall by Brian Jacques
  2. Ida B. and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
  3. Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear

​All of these activities can be recorded and documented in your nature journal!
 
Another great way to keep track of what’s going on around you through journaling is to go on a Nature Quest! This is a simple way to get you looking around and seeing what is happening in the natural world. Go for a walk and just take in your surroundings. Be sure to use all five of your senses. What do you hear? What can you see? Is there anything that jumps out at you? Think about how what you are observing holds clues to what season we are in right now!
 
One way set up your nature quest is with a guide in your journal. Pick four or five things you are hoping to find and make a checklist. Next, go outside and try to find them! Keep track of those sights, smells, and sounds happening all around you as well as anything you can feel or even taste! Make a list of other things you find that you weren’t expecting!

​Try to go on one nature quest this week to see what’s happening in the middle of May! If you find anything unique, or want to share your journal pages, please email education.nrt@gmail.com. We always look forward to seeing what the community finds!