Journaling

One of my journals

Keeping a nature journal is a key part of being a naturalist. I once read, "the difference between a nature lover and a naturalist, is that a naturalist keeps a journal".

I kept my first naturalist's journal in 1990 and I still keep one. My journal is filled with data, essays, photographs, drawing and paintings. Besides, using it as a notebook, I just like making it beautiful

Keeping a naturalist journal can be as simple or as involved as you like. For naturalists with a scientific bent, it can follow the Grinnell Naturalist's Field Journal system.

It consists of field notebook, field journal, species account, and catalog. You can use one or more of these components. I use a modified Grinnell format myself.

For artists, a nature journal can be filled with sketches, drawings, paintings and photographs. Knowing about the many approaches can help you to develop your own personal style.

My first journal from 1990

So what do you write down? What do you draw? What materials do you need? Start by reading the observation checklist. It is a very basic list and a good guideline to start off every entry.

From there move to choosing a place and a guiding theme. This can mean creating a birding journal, chronicle of you garden or backyard or a favorite nearby place that you visit often.

Your journal belongs to you. Because it is so personal, you can't "do it wrong".

And if you are still hesitant, I can assure you that since 1990, I have not once been visited by the journal police.

I created a online notebook of naturalist and journaling techniques.

My journal from 2009.

To see a "fashion show" of my nature journals, visit my Flickr set.

The standard book on keeping  a nature journal is Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles Roth. I really like this book. It is focused on drawing and is simply nice to look at. It does cover writing, and has many ideas what to journal about. Clare Walker Leslie's books are what encouraged me to start a nature journal.

This is a another useful book written by a scientist who teaches college students about field notes. How to Keep a naturalist's Notebook, combines scientific method and sketching. Here is a review of this book.



The other book I considered a standard is, The Naturalist's Field Journal: A Manual of Instruction Based on a System Established by Joseph Grinnell written by Steven Herman. It is out-of-print. But I bought it on Amazon several years ago. The prices for the book can sometimes be outrageous. But, I list it, just in case you come across it in a library or at a used book sale. Maybe one day it will be available as an ebook or print-on-demand. It is the only book I know that explains in detail how to keep a scientific standard naturalist's journal. And no, I will not lend it to anyone, but I will publish an overview of Grinnell's method.