Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You (Paperback)

~ (Author), Charles E. Roth (Author) "Many of us are looking for ways to connect better with nature - to learn its patterns, to help protect its inhabitants, to gain an..." (more)
Key Phrases: nature journaling, blind contour, nature journalists, Suggested Reading, New England, The Spring Journal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A wonderful book for young people, this book has also inspired this old gardener to go out and get one of those nice new sketchbooks … ” — The New York Times

 

“Leslie’s approachable methods for recording the natural world have inspired many people.” — New Orleans Times-Picayune

 

“ … a step-by-step guide to getting started in a fascinating hobby of recording on paper what you see in nature.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer

 

“[C]oaches even beginners who think they cannot write or sketch but simply have a love of nature.” — San Jose Mercury News

“… an excellent teaching tool on how to go about seeing the world in a new way.”  — Indianapolis Star

 

“This book was very motivating for me personally and I am ready to begin a nature journal.  It could be used as a classroom supplement or a tool for personal professional development for all ages … a good resource for informal science organizations such as museums and camps.”  —NSTA Recommends (National Science Teachers’ Association), www.nsta.org

 

“Here’s a good gift book for gardeners, but also for non-gardeners who nevertheless enjoy communing with the great outdoors.” — Nashville Tennessean

 

“Learn to observe nature closely, sketch with confidence, keep accurate records, narrate the changing seasons, and more.  Highly recommended for those interested in art journals or nature studies.” – Somerset Studio magazine

  --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

From the day it was released in 2000, Keeping a Nature Journal has struck a profound chord among professional, casual, and occasional naturalists of all ages. In response to this groundswell of enthusiasm, we have revised KEEPING A NATURE JOURNAL, updated the interior design, and created a new cover. Undoubtedly the most exciting new element in this second edition is a portfolio of 32 illustrated pages from Clare Walker Leslie's most recent journals, reproduced in full color.

What makes KEEPING A NATURE JOURNAL so popular? It is inspiring and easy to use. Clare and co-author Charles "Chuck" E. Roth offer simple techniques to give first-time journal-keepers the confidence to go outside, observe the natural world, and sketch and write about what they see. At the same time, they motivate long-time journal-keepers to hone their powers of observation as they immerse themselves in the mysteries of the natural world. Clare and Chuck stress that the journal is a personal record of daily experience and the world around us. Nature's beauty can be observed everywhere, whether in the city, suburbs, or country.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; 2 edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580174930
• ISBN-13: 978-1580174930
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real ideas from real notebooks, August 16, 2001

By	N. C. Derham "MacBeth Derham" (Floral Park, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You (Paperback)

What makes this book so great? It is partially a nature journal itself, yet it is full of *real* ideas for your notebooks. I love the authors' drawings and comments, and how they help you draw well with small exercises. I was amazed at how well I could draw a bird after doing the bird sketches they recommend. They include sidebars with annectdotes of teaching approaches. They suggest ways to make a note book your own, to make it more interesting, and to make it more scientific, too!

Some of my favorite pages in the book are city or country landscapes, including houses and buildings. The authors remind us that humans are part of nature, and what they build is too, just as a wasps' nest is. A drawing of a street in Cambridge MA made me a bit homesick...but it also reminded me that this would be our last year with a cabana at the beach. I started documenting our days there, and rather than take photos, I tried to record our days in pictures I drew. These are not amazingly Rembrant-esque, but they accurately reflect the days we spent. With a bit of help from this book, I was able to capture perspective and shadowing as I drew my children and the local flora and fauna, and add comments as I draw--the time and temperature, what the animals are doing, when the last rain fall was, or how I felt. The entries in this notebook include the buildings and benches, the fences and the kites--everything it take s to capture a scene.

Leslie and Roth talk about different types of notebooks, with examples. Seasonal notebooks capture the changing wilderness; scientific notebooks record observations with commentary. A notebook may include only flora or fauna. It may record a journey or special occasion.

A nifty section includes a discussion of materials and tools for drawing. Leslie demonstrates pens vs. pencils and markers, drawing the same leaf with several different tools. She tells us her preferences, but leaves us to choose for ourselves.

One side-bar includes the author's reflexion on teaching nature journaling: When asked about drawing in an nature notebook, one second grader said, "Well, I can draw the sky." That's how I felt about drawing...and yet that phrase says so much about nature notebooks. The sky is so big, yet so simple. I think this sums up the whole book. Keeping a nature notebook is so simple, yet such a big part of our education.

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW Beautiful, practical, full of ideas and useful tidbits!, June 15, 2002

By	Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) "arkabc" (Big Bear, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You (Paperback)

Okay, this is a winner! If you do NOT have it on your bookshelf then get it! This has become one of the required textbooks for many of my courses. (Visit my Amazon page for more information.)

It is flat out beautiful -- the beauty is that it is filled with the illustrations and notes by the authors. The book delves into the questions you might have, doubts that might arise -- and those get answered but the book allows and encourages creativity and growth through the nature journal process.

You'll find hints for what tools to pick for your illustrations and notes, tips for observing, what information you might want to include, how to overcome your critical mind, beginning drawing exercises and tips on how to enchance your creativity. You'll find a seasonal section that gives some good suggestions for documenting natural changes and events. Later there are more drawing exercises on shading, drawing flowers, anatomy, landscapes, etc. There are also samples of different journal techniques, tips on how to set up a nature study, how to keep records, how to journal for a scientific study or biological research project and still more!

Toward the end of the book group journaling and exploring is discussed. What you will also find are valuable tips for quizzes, writing, science, art, history, music and math projects. The suggested reading list and assessment scale for the journal or porfolio are also vital resources within this book.

If you are not convince now you never will be! One of the best personal journaling _and_ teaching books I've encountered this last year.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will inspire you!, July 10, 2001

By	Julie Lovisa (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You (Paperback)

What a beautiful guidebook...it's lavishly illustrated with the authors' own nature sketches and comments so that you can really get a feel for what a nature journal is all about. Not only will you be keeping a record of the world around you, but you will be learning to see that world with new eyes. It's so easy to glide over the tiny details that make life truly remarkable...by taking the authors' tips and lessons to heart, you will find yourself paying deeper attention to the little things.

You definitely don't have to be an artist (I'm not, by far) to be able to keep a journal of this type. In fact, there are several basic drawing exercises included that will help you develop some skill, even if you think it's hopeless. The important thing is to stop and smell the roses...and then draw them.