If you’re a birder, you probably already keep lists. A life list, region list, year list, speciality list – let’s face it, we’re a community that that likes to record things. Why not expand our written and sketched musings into nature journaling?
The Naturalist’s Field Journal by Amphibian Publishing is the perfect way to immerse yourself in nature journaling for the first time or expand the notes you already take.
The journal has a beautifully soft cover and is thin and light enough to easily take birding (it can even be curled up and stuffed in a back pocket). There are daily field guide templates, ideas for activities, photos of commonly seen birds, insects, footprints, and more, as well as long sections for notes.
Do you have to be an artist to be a great field journaler? Nope! That’s why I love the width and breadth of activities included. I especially enjoyed looking at the pond in my backyard and filling out the “colours of the day.” Each square represents something I spotted, from man-made items like an archery target and bird feeder to shadows on the grass and the water. My daughter and I also collected leaves to make live oak pencil leaf rubbings – perfect for the “specimen plate” page.
One note: I started in marker but then noticed the ink bleeds through the page a bit. Switching to colored pencils and crayons worked perfectly!
Check out the website for the best location to buy the journal, and download/print the many free resources available to augment your practice. Have fun!
Leave a Comment