Keeping a Nature Journal, 3rd Edition: Deepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around You
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- Create Date：2021-06-08 09:51:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Clare Walker Leslie
- ISBN：1635862280
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Summary
Originally published in 2000 with endorsements from E。O。 Wilson and Jane Goodall， Clare Walker Leslie’s Keeping a Nature Journal was at the forefront of the nature observation and journaling movement。 Leslie’s approach has long been acclaimed for its accessible style of teaching people to see， witness， and appreciate the wonders of nature， and her classic guide is still used by individuals， groups， and educators ranging from elementary school teachers to college-level instructors。 The third edition features more of Leslie’s step-by-step drawing techniques， a new selection of pages from her own journals （which she’s kept for 40 years）， and an expanded range of prompts for observing particular aspects of the natural world in any location。 With an emphasis on learning to see and observe， Leslie shows how drawing nature doesn’t require special skills， artistic ability， or even nature knowledge， and it is a tool everyone can use to record observations and experience the benefits of a stronger connection to the natural world。
Reviews
Dasha Slepenkina
，
A big thank-you to NetGalley， the author， and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review。3。5/5 - Liked it quite a bit。 I've always been curious about nature journaling。 I find that going out into nature and focusing on a small element of my landscape does wonders for my sense of calm and concentration。 This book gave me some great tips on how I can find nature anywhere - even from the window of my apartment。 It also had a great section on tips for drawing different types A big thank-you to NetGalley， the author， and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review。3。5/5 - Liked it quite a bit。 I've always been curious about nature journaling。 I find that going out into nature and focusing on a small element of my landscape does wonders for my sense of calm and concentration。 This book gave me some great tips on how I can find nature anywhere - even from the window of my apartment。 It also had a great section on tips for drawing different types of trees and animals， which I appreciated very much。 It did take a little while to get into the book - I did not enjoy the beginning as much， which covered why someone might want to engage in nature journaling。 This felt a bit redundant to me - if someone is reading this book， chances are they don't need so much convincing。 It was difficult for me to stay engaged during the first chapter。 I would also say that the very end of the book， which focuses on nature journaling in education， was not so relevant to me。 However， the rest of the book is well put together， with extremely practical advise on making nature journaling a habit for those who are interested in the world outdoors。 。。。more
Cathy Geha
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Keeping a Nature Journal， 3rd Editionby Clare Walker LeslieDeepen Your Connection with the Natural World All around YouI wasn’t sure what to expect when requesting this book and since a fellow blogger suggested it to me， I thought， “Why not？” This book is filled with information and almost a collection of the author’s thoughts and ideas captured in sketches and words that have been compiled together with works of other artists of all ages and then shared with the reader。 The book is divided into Keeping a Nature Journal， 3rd Editionby Clare Walker LeslieDeepen Your Connection with the Natural World All around YouI wasn’t sure what to expect when requesting this book and since a fellow blogger suggested it to me， I thought， “Why not？” This book is filled with information and almost a collection of the author’s thoughts and ideas captured in sketches and words that have been compiled together with works of other artists of all ages and then shared with the reader。 The book is divided into sections with Part I dealing with why one might keep a nature journal， how to set your journal up， an introduction to drawing and how to keep an ongoing journal。 Part II discusses journaling explorations and gives topics that might be considered for observation。 What I liked: * The variety* The sketches* Being able to see how varied nature journaling can be* Seeing the way teachers use nature journaling with students* Being inspired to want to pick up sketching again* The multitude of ideas * Seeing that I don’t have to be perfect to actually sketch and keep a nature journal* The idea of mindfulness that was brought in* Seeing how “artists” keep their journals* Wondering if this might be an interesting way to keep a diary* Enjoying the uninhibited sketches by young artists and the clarity with which they saw what was around them。* All of it reallyWhat I didn’t like: * Having so many ideas at the end of looking through the book that I can’t choose ONE to actually start in on with a new nature journal。 Did I enjoy this book？ YesWould I like to have it in my library？ YesThank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review。 5 Stars 。。。more
Jean
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Excellent guide to help anyone start nature journaling。 There are examples of nature journal pages and toward the back there are reference pages to use in teaching young children to observe and record nature and how to incorporate it into an all inclusive curriculum。 The main section of the book though is geared toward anyone who is interested in starting to nature journal。 There are tips on what to observe and how to draw different objects in nature。 This is definitely an invaluable guide that Excellent guide to help anyone start nature journaling。 There are examples of nature journal pages and toward the back there are reference pages to use in teaching young children to observe and record nature and how to incorporate it into an all inclusive curriculum。 The main section of the book though is geared toward anyone who is interested in starting to nature journal。 There are tips on what to observe and how to draw different objects in nature。 This is definitely an invaluable guide that I would love to purchase in hardcopy。 。。。more
NayDoubleU
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Honestly i wanted to like this so much more than i did。 It just felt overwhelming and like there was so much to learn read and take in。 Seeing the examples didn't hell either because it jist made me feel crummy because my images sould never look like that。 I wish it made me feel more hopeful and excited rather than like an ikea manual that okay frustrates me Honestly i wanted to like this so much more than i did。 It just felt overwhelming and like there was so much to learn read and take in。 Seeing the examples didn't hell either because it jist made me feel crummy because my images sould never look like that。 I wish it made me feel more hopeful and excited rather than like an ikea manual that okay frustrates me 。。。more
Melanie Knight
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I loved this easy-to-read guide to getting started with nature journalling。 Lots of step-by-step instructions make it easy to get started and there are inspiring examples included from a variety of different people。 I'm definitely inspired to have a go at my own nature journalling now！ I loved this easy-to-read guide to getting started with nature journalling。 Lots of step-by-step instructions make it easy to get started and there are inspiring examples included from a variety of different people。 I'm definitely inspired to have a go at my own nature journalling now！ 。。。more
Ioana
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Reading this book has been such a mindful experience！I wanted for long to keep a kind of drawing journal and I thought this book would be perfect to make me finally start it。 You don't really need to know how to draw， this book actually teaches you how to sketch， how to add shading， color， what tools you need but it also gives you ideas on how to see the nature around。 Apart from being full of ideas on what to log on your journal and how to actually keep this practice， what I loved the most abou Reading this book has been such a mindful experience！I wanted for long to keep a kind of drawing journal and I thought this book would be perfect to make me finally start it。 You don't really need to know how to draw， this book actually teaches you how to sketch， how to add shading， color， what tools you need but it also gives you ideas on how to see the nature around。 Apart from being full of ideas on what to log on your journal and how to actually keep this practice， what I loved the most about this book is the courage， the nudge it gives you to just start， jump into the practice and enjoy observing your surroundings and log what you see and how you see it。 It also a great book for parents and teachers with a lot of useful tips on how to start doing this practice involving children， too。I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Jill
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What a wonderful book。 Here， Clare Walker Leslie offers a well structured array of tips and examples on how to start a nature journal。 Whilst the author notes that there are many styles of nature journal available， the emphasis here is upon sketching and artwork。 To that end， the book includes a number of excellent tutorials on how to draw various types of plants and animals。 The potential to practice mindfulness in the process is also effectively explored。I approached this book as someone alrea What a wonderful book。 Here， Clare Walker Leslie offers a well structured array of tips and examples on how to start a nature journal。 Whilst the author notes that there are many styles of nature journal available， the emphasis here is upon sketching and artwork。 To that end， the book includes a number of excellent tutorials on how to draw various types of plants and animals。 The potential to practice mindfulness in the process is also effectively explored。I approached this book as someone already a keen walker and nature enthusiast。 I’ve had some wonderful wildlife experiences over the years from kingfishers to hares to barn owls and beyond and enjoy noting the seasonal changes on my local patch from month to month。 However， I document these experiences only in my head。 There are plenty of ideas and inspiration in this book to resurrect my teenage drawing hobby and to start my own nature journal。I’m a time when so many of us are reconnecting with nature and the green spaces around us in order to find peace and sanity in the era of Covid19， the publication of this third edition could not be more prescient。 Recommended。Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Stacy Renee （LazyDayLit）
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I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 This is a fantastic nature journaling resource， for beginners and veterans alike！Full review will be up closer to the release date！
Sarah
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I have been keeping my own nature journal for the past year， dabbing in and out as I please。 This book is perfect for anyone who wants to start out but isn't sure how to go about it。 It's a great resource book helping to teach drawing techniques， the best supplies to use and how to get that first page filled out。' In essence， these are pages of memories that you can return to long after your journey is over'I would recommend buying the physical copy of this book。 It's a larger format and I found I have been keeping my own nature journal for the past year， dabbing in and out as I please。 This book is perfect for anyone who wants to start out but isn't sure how to go about it。 It's a great resource book helping to teach drawing techniques， the best supplies to use and how to get that first page filled out。' In essence， these are pages of memories that you can return to long after your journey is over'I would recommend buying the physical copy of this book。 It's a larger format and I found it quite difficult to read on my phone。 I'm not sure how a kindle copy would be but I think as a reference book， physical would be best。 。。。more
Colette Brennan
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I like many others in this current pandemic， started to look for ways that calm the anxieties and allow me to switch off from the daily troubles around us。 I noticed also that many of my students were finding life difficult and did not know what to do with themselves， whilst isolated from their friends。 My pupils started to tell me of the things they seen in their gardens， they had more time now to watch。This book is an ideal introduction to keeping a nature journal。 I will recommend it to my st I like many others in this current pandemic， started to look for ways that calm the anxieties and allow me to switch off from the daily troubles around us。 I noticed also that many of my students were finding life difficult and did not know what to do with themselves， whilst isolated from their friends。 My pupils started to tell me of the things they seen in their gardens， they had more time now to watch。This book is an ideal introduction to keeping a nature journal。 I will recommend it to my students and use examples from this in class。 Things they can look out for in their daily walk， cycle and just sitting in the garden。 It is a lovely book that inspires you to take the step to write down and/or draw the things you see。 I wish I had done it on a trip to the Scottish islands that I managed to see eagles， whales， seals and porpoises or even last year when one of my flower bushes in the garden was covered in over 30 butterflies。 Wonderful！ But this book has taught me it’s not too late to start， the best day to begin is now。I highly recommend this books as a tool for mindful meditation and reflection and to help become more aware of the abundance of nature around us。Thank you Netgalley for a free eBook review copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
eyes。2c
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Alive to your environment！ The art of seeing！Twenty minutes a day of mindfulness and well being focused on your environment through using various artistic media。 A wonderful encouragement to continue or start to take note of the natural world you encounter。 In the past I've kept a similar journal but the presentation of ideas and interesting ways to proceed in Leslie’s very accessible guide take things to another level。 No wonder this work is in its third edition。Succinctly arranged， with colorf Alive to your environment！ The art of seeing！Twenty minutes a day of mindfulness and well being focused on your environment through using various artistic media。 A wonderful encouragement to continue or start to take note of the natural world you encounter。 In the past I've kept a similar journal but the presentation of ideas and interesting ways to proceed in Leslie’s very accessible guide take things to another level。 No wonder this work is in its third edition。Succinctly arranged， with colorful presentations makes this work a great companion for those already on a similar journey， or a beginning place for anyone interested。From a chapter on ‘Getting Started’ and what nature journaling is， looking at what observing is， to developing ideas and so much more。A great layout that calls you to follow。 I love the sketches included。 All filled with a lovely vitality。It’s like yoga with pencils and paper， calling us to take time to be very much present in our world。I will be purchasing this in hard copy once it’s released。 I feel the need to savour it more fully than on a pdf file。 I might even add it to my present list。A Storey Publishing ARC via NetGalley （Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。） 。。。more
Lauren
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I will admit to some bias when selecting this book for review， but it genuinely exceeded my expectations。I knew this book would be for me because I have been a fervent journaler since the age of 8 - and nature journaling has always been a part of that。 If I can be frank， I didn't expect this book to have had much new to teach me。 I'm glad to say I was wrong about that！The book is beautiful。 There are so many tips and tricks to explore， but I think my favorite is that there is an emphasis on incl I will admit to some bias when selecting this book for review， but it genuinely exceeded my expectations。I knew this book would be for me because I have been a fervent journaler since the age of 8 - and nature journaling has always been a part of that。 If I can be frank， I didn't expect this book to have had much new to teach me。 I'm glad to say I was wrong about that！The book is beautiful。 There are so many tips and tricks to explore， but I think my favorite is that there is an emphasis on including all ages and skill levels。 In fact， it makes me excited that I can share this book with my friends AND their small children。 。。。more
Laura
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This book exceeded all of my expectations。 I was absolutely amazed by all of the ideas about using journals， formatting them， and the tips and tricks to creating great works of art that capture the nature around you。 I am already trying to think of ways I could incorporate this into lessons at school/show teachers what an incredibly useful tool this could be for teaching writing， science， and more。 It's going to be hard not to purchase a journal and get started today。 Absolutely wonderful。 This book exceeded all of my expectations。 I was absolutely amazed by all of the ideas about using journals， formatting them， and the tips and tricks to creating great works of art that capture the nature around you。 I am already trying to think of ways I could incorporate this into lessons at school/show teachers what an incredibly useful tool this could be for teaching writing， science， and more。 It's going to be hard not to purchase a journal and get started today。 Absolutely wonderful。 。。。more
Anne
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Keeping a Nature Journal， 3rd EditionDeepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around Youby Clare Walker LeslieBack of the Book: “Originally published in 2000 with endorsements from E。O。 Wilson and Jane Goodall， Clare Walker Leslie’s Keeping a Nature Journal was at the forefront of the nature observation and journaling movement。 Leslie’s approach has long been acclaimed for its accessible style of teaching people to see， witness， and appreciate the wonders of nature， and her classic guid Keeping a Nature Journal， 3rd EditionDeepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around Youby Clare Walker LeslieBack of the Book: “Originally published in 2000 with endorsements from E。O。 Wilson and Jane Goodall， Clare Walker Leslie’s Keeping a Nature Journal was at the forefront of the nature observation and journaling movement。 Leslie’s approach has long been acclaimed for its accessible style of teaching people to see， witness， and appreciate the wonders of nature， and her classic guide is still used by individuals， groups， and educators ranging from elementary school teachers to college-level instructors。 The third edition features more of Leslie’s step-by-step drawing techniques， a new selection of pages from her own journals （which she’s kept for 40 years）， and an expanded range of prompts for observing particular aspects of the natural world in any location。 With an emphasis on learning to see and observe， Leslie shows how drawing nature doesn’t require special skills， artistic ability， or even nature knowledge， and it is a tool everyone can use to record observations and experience the benefits of a stronger connection to the natural world。”Impressions: I have mixed feelings about this book。 There were defiantly bits of advice and useful information。 Much of the book however is inspirational and encouraging quotes and text。 It was a very holistic and cerebral look at nature journaling。 I was looking for an in-and-out kind of read。 Therefore， I did not enjoy this book as much。 That being said there is nothing wrong with this book。 It held much encouragement and direction in starting and keeping a nature journal。 It is defiantly worth reading if you are looking to keep a nature journal or any journal really。I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here。 。。。more
Tasmin Bradshaw
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It's a really interesting idea to really take time each day to admire your surroundings。 To appreciate nature and everything she has to give。 And jot it down。 The illustrations in this are well thought out and work really well。 And it makes sense， however， I did find myself skimming a bit here and there。 I think this book would be better read on physical form and not digital。 It's a really interesting idea to really take time each day to admire your surroundings。 To appreciate nature and everything she has to give。 And jot it down。 The illustrations in this are well thought out and work really well。 And it makes sense， however， I did find myself skimming a bit here and there。 I think this book would be better read on physical form and not digital。 。。。more
Voyage
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"Keeping a Nature Journal" is a great book！The illustrations are beautifully drawn， in a very "nature" style， not too digitalised。The text is easy to understand yet rich， descriptive and interesting。 It provides great advice and is really encouraging us to go observe nature and recollect what we have seen， no matter our talent in drawing or sketching， which is always encouraging！ It actually gives very good advice to sketch nature （e。g。 how to quickly draw different kind of leaves on a tree）。The "Keeping a Nature Journal" is a great book！The illustrations are beautifully drawn， in a very "nature" style， not too digitalised。The text is easy to understand yet rich， descriptive and interesting。 It provides great advice and is really encouraging us to go observe nature and recollect what we have seen， no matter our talent in drawing or sketching， which is always encouraging！ It actually gives very good advice to sketch nature （e。g。 how to quickly draw different kind of leaves on a tree）。The great thing about this book is that it addresses a wide audience: adults， seniors， whole families。。。 I'm sure kids from about 10 years old onwards would like it （had I had this book when I was younger， I would most certainly would have wanted to become a conservationist， scientistic or someone working in nature！）。A lovely book with fantastic advice to learn how to notice nature， plants， animals 。。。more
Mellissa Bushby
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I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons。 It's perfect for all ages， the quaint， charming illustrations are descriptive without being intimidating or overly 'precious'， and the copy is concise and well-executed。 The subject matter is very close to my heart， I am a firm believer in nature's way， with a respect for thecearthvand love for her creatures。 In so many ways education is key。 Thanks to Clare Walker Leslie， Storey Publishing and Net Galley for my ARC。 I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons。 It's perfect for all ages， the quaint， charming illustrations are descriptive without being intimidating or overly 'precious'， and the copy is concise and well-executed。 The subject matter is very close to my heart， I am a firm believer in nature's way， with a respect for thecearthvand love for her creatures。 In so many ways education is key。 Thanks to Clare Walker Leslie， Storey Publishing and Net Galley for my ARC。 。。。more
Karen
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If you like to journal and have always wanted to keep an art journal， like I have， you will love every single page of this book。 - It is full of encouragement。 - It gives you practical tips on how to start and how to keep going。 - It gives you many， many different examples of nature journals。 So much eye candy。 - It breaks down most of what you'd see in nature （birds， animals， trees， etc。） and teaches you how to approach drawing them - It gives you practical color advice for each season - It h If you like to journal and have always wanted to keep an art journal， like I have， you will love every single page of this book。 - It is full of encouragement。 - It gives you practical tips on how to start and how to keep going。 - It gives you many， many different examples of nature journals。 So much eye candy。 - It breaks down most of what you'd see in nature （birds， animals， trees， etc。） and teaches you how to approach drawing them - It gives you practical color advice for each season - It has advice on how to teach the love of nature journaling to kids， classes， and anyone new。But most of all it helps you fall in love with the practice of disconnecting， being present with nature， paying attention and capturing what you see。 It's not about the perfection， it's about the feeling of being present and noticing and keeping track of all you noticed。 Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful。with gratitude to netgalley and Storey Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Jennifer
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Thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my review。 I appreciated and enjoyed reading Keeping a Nature Journal for many reasons。 From start to finish， this book is visually beautiful， with illustrations on every page。 It covers reasons why to keep a nature journal， how to get started， basics on how to draw in a nature journal， and how to keep an ongoing journal。 The author makes nature journaling feel accessible， explaining how one can start their journal by just l Thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my review。 I appreciated and enjoyed reading Keeping a Nature Journal for many reasons。 From start to finish， this book is visually beautiful， with illustrations on every page。 It covers reasons why to keep a nature journal， how to get started， basics on how to draw in a nature journal， and how to keep an ongoing journal。 The author makes nature journaling feel accessible， explaining how one can start their journal by just looking out their window or exploring in their backyard （especially important during the pandemic）。 And as someone who cannot draw well at all， I found the author's drawing exercises helped make the task of drawing in a nature journal feel approachable。 I also liked the connection of using nature journaling as a mindfulness exercise。 I received my first nature journal as a gift to share with my daughter， and will enjoy using this book to help us get started。 I recommend this book and look forward to using it with our journal。 。。。more
Suradha
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Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers e-copy of Keeping a Nature Journal。 This book is SO good and engaging and it doesn't occur to me that you'd need a better place to begin nature journaling。 I don't personally draw but the book convinced me to pick up a pencil and stare out of my window and observe things I never would've seen on my daily walks or while going about everyday life。The book is great for people seriously looking into a mindfulness practice and who have som Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers e-copy of Keeping a Nature Journal。 This book is SO good and engaging and it doesn't occur to me that you'd need a better place to begin nature journaling。 I don't personally draw but the book convinced me to pick up a pencil and stare out of my window and observe things I never would've seen on my daily walks or while going about everyday life。The book is great for people seriously looking into a mindfulness practice and who have some resources to devote to it- a great pandemic hobby too。 The best part of this is the author talking about children and adults alike taking back so much from a single session of it。 I have no doubt this would make a delightful gift。 Even if， like me， you don't buy the premise that this practice will help save the planet and make people more vocal and active in conservation efforts， the book is still valuable。 Not to mention it has the loveliest illustrations I was very happy to pore over like I'd do nature books as a child。 。。。more
Marcy Graybill
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Thanks to netgalley。com for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review。In general this book follows the classic art books， discussing the supplies needed and covering the basics of drawing。 But it also includes some great resources on how to come up with ideas to draw: "Draw what's outside your window" and where to find information about nature。 Then she goes into specifics on drawing birds， and trees and leaves。 This if a pretty and informative book。 One of the important things she Thanks to netgalley。com for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review。In general this book follows the classic art books， discussing the supplies needed and covering the basics of drawing。 But it also includes some great resources on how to come up with ideas to draw: "Draw what's outside your window" and where to find information about nature。 Then she goes into specifics on drawing birds， and trees and leaves。 This if a pretty and informative book。 One of the important things she says is fear of failure keeps most adults from even trying。 She strongly urges people to just draw and keep going。 The more you draw the better you'll get。 #netgalley #keepinganaturejournal 。。。more
Dawn Thomas
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Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie9781635862287224 PagesPublisher: Storey PublishingRelease Date: April 13， 2021Nonfiction， Arts & Photography， Outdoors & Nature， Self-HelpThis is the third edition after the first edition was originally published in 2000。 The images and drawings are beautifully done。 The author tells us that anyone can keep a nature journal no matter when we live。 She gives simple questions to get us started by noticing nature around us and noting anything we see， h Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie9781635862287224 PagesPublisher: Storey PublishingRelease Date: April 13， 2021Nonfiction， Arts & Photography， Outdoors & Nature， Self-HelpThis is the third edition after the first edition was originally published in 2000。 The images and drawings are beautifully done。 The author tells us that anyone can keep a nature journal no matter when we live。 She gives simple questions to get us started by noticing nature around us and noting anything we see， hear， or feel。 She recommends spending 20 minutes outside to change the outlook on the day and of life。 I have been keeping a bullet journal for the past two years and just started a new one for 2021。 Sometimes I get bored with it and was looking for different ideas。 This book is perfect， and I can see myself using it to change the way I do things and also improving my outlook。 It is definitely a way to slow down and be more mindful especially during these trying times。 If you are looking for a way to become closer to nature， no matter where you are， look no further than this book。 There are so many ideas， something will jump out at you。 。。。more
Kim Cabrera
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Drawing from nature seems difficult， but this book gives you some great tips on how to do it。 I’ve always wanted to learn to draw and have felt that my drawings are awful。 Using the techniques in this book， I improved my drawings a little bit。 It’s not as tough as it looks。 Clare Walker Leslie has several books on nature and nature journaling and I have wanted to read her work for a long time。 I am glad I finally got one of her books！ I will be reading some of the others in the future。 There are Drawing from nature seems difficult， but this book gives you some great tips on how to do it。 I’ve always wanted to learn to draw and have felt that my drawings are awful。 Using the techniques in this book， I improved my drawings a little bit。 It’s not as tough as it looks。 Clare Walker Leslie has several books on nature and nature journaling and I have wanted to read her work for a long time。 I am glad I finally got one of her books！ I will be reading some of the others in the future。 There are exercises that show you how to begin learning to draw， such as doing a blind contour drawing。 That is pretty fun。 You draw something without looking at the paper and without lifting your pen or pencil。 It looks messy when it’s done， but you really can see the shape of whatever you drew in those messy lines！ I was surprised at how that worked。 Next， the author moves on to show you techniques to draw various natural things， like birds and mammals。 Finally， you learn to draw landscape scenes。 I doubt I will ever be a professional artist， but I did find that these techniques worked well。 I was able to see that drawings don’t have to be perfect。 They are really sketches that convey the idea of the object you are drawing without being photographically accurate。 The whole idea behind the book is to learn to make a nature journal。 In it， you can record your observations and make sketches of what you see。 Phenological observations help you to track various events in nature over time and you can go back to older journals to make comparisons。 This can help document things like climate change and how species are adapting by changes in the timing of their life events。 I think the idea of keeping a nature journal is interesting。 The very act of drawing or writing something down really helps solidify the observation and you will remember it longer because you are creating a neural pathway。 Studies have shown that hand writing notes helps the note-taker remember longer than just typing them。 So， I agree that keeping a record of your nature observations can be very useful to anyone who is studying the natural world。 The illustrations in the book are by the author and her students。 They are all excellent。 It’s amazing to me that， with a few lines， an artist can convey an image that looks like a rabbit， or a bird， or a tree。 Overall， I found this book full of excellent advice and tips on how to improve techniques。 I look forward to trying more of these ideas out when I go on outdoor excursions！ I give this book five stars！ 。。。more
Jennifer Klepper
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I'm in love with this book。 It's beautiful and inspirational and it makes me happy paging through it。 Author Clare Walker Leslie published the first edition of Keeping a Nature Journal in 2000。 Through engaging prompts， step-by-step drawing techniques， and images of her own （gorgeous） nature drawings， Leslie guides and encourages the reader to observe and engage with nature through journaling。 WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:Leslie's approach isn't prescriptive。 You do you， and Leslie provides encou I'm in love with this book。 It's beautiful and inspirational and it makes me happy paging through it。 Author Clare Walker Leslie published the first edition of Keeping a Nature Journal in 2000。 Through engaging prompts， step-by-step drawing techniques， and images of her own （gorgeous） nature drawings， Leslie guides and encourages the reader to observe and engage with nature through journaling。 WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:Leslie's approach isn't prescriptive。 You do you， and Leslie provides encouragement and tools to help。 She tells the reader not to be afraid to draw， and her own artwork is inspirational。WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR:Thoughtful people who look out the window or who go outdoors and want to be better observers of nature。 。。。more
Literary Redhead
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A stunning book with gorgeous art and helpful notes on using a journal to capture time in nature。 I’m a terrible artist， yet this third edition of KEEPING A NATURE JOURNAL gave me hope that I too could chronicle my life in a more meaningful way。 I think back on hiking and skiing the Rockies and wish I had such a journal to reflect on。 Confirms that what we “see” mindfully makes life so much sweeter — a perfect pursuit during COVID times！5 of 5 StarsPub Date 30 Mar 2021#KeepingANatureJournal #Net A stunning book with gorgeous art and helpful notes on using a journal to capture time in nature。 I’m a terrible artist， yet this third edition of KEEPING A NATURE JOURNAL gave me hope that I too could chronicle my life in a more meaningful way。 I think back on hiking and skiing the Rockies and wish I had such a journal to reflect on。 Confirms that what we “see” mindfully makes life so much sweeter — a perfect pursuit during COVID times！5 of 5 StarsPub Date 30 Mar 2021#KeepingANatureJournal #NetGalleyThanks to the author， Storey Publishing， and NetGalley for the ARC。 Opinions are mine。 。。。more
Jill
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I am reviewing a free arc from Netgalley （thank you！） I knew about this book but somehow believed I had already read a previous edition？ Now I don’t think that is true， or if I picked it up in a bookstore previously I must have only glanced through it。 This book definitely deserves a more thorough read than that！ The author guides readers through keeping a nature journal by showing many examples of her own work and giving simple tutorials and ideas of what to observe。 She stresses that it doesn’ I am reviewing a free arc from Netgalley （thank you！） I knew about this book but somehow believed I had already read a previous edition？ Now I don’t think that is true， or if I picked it up in a bookstore previously I must have only glanced through it。 This book definitely deserves a more thorough read than that！ The author guides readers through keeping a nature journal by showing many examples of her own work and giving simple tutorials and ideas of what to observe。 She stresses that it doesn’t need to be complicated and you don’t need to know everything to begin drawing and learning。 While I am comfortable with drawing and art in general， I feel pretty ignorant about the natural world around me where I live。 （I couldn’t name random grasses or most trees ~minus the obvious ones~ or pick out various bird calls at all， for instance。） The author doesn’t make me feel guilty about this and instead offers tips and ideas of things to learn with the changing seasons at one’s own pace。It seems like something that is actually doable and that is a good thing because maybe I will get outside more this year to draw， even if it’s close to the beginning of the year and currently cold and gray and wet。 。。。more
Desiree M
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Fantastic update to a great book on nature journaling - whether or not one feels they are a good artist。 This balances explaining the purposes of nature journaling with great insights on how to teach （and by extension learn） how to nature journal。 It's a great balance between sketching and actual journaling with a nature bent。 I'm going to recommend it to some friends who work with naturalists。 Fantastic update to a great book on nature journaling - whether or not one feels they are a good artist。 This balances explaining the purposes of nature journaling with great insights on how to teach （and by extension learn） how to nature journal。 It's a great balance between sketching and actual journaling with a nature bent。 I'm going to recommend it to some friends who work with naturalists。 。。。more
Sarah
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The artwork and tone of this book were warm and inviting from the very first page。 As an outdoor educator， I have helped children keep nature journals。 However， I have found that when I have time out in nature by myself I tend to use my phone to snap a picture to confirm an ID later， or simply observed and walked on。 There is a time and a place for that， but I would like to make a concerted effort to take the time to make the experience more immersive。 I appreciate that the author is clear and a The artwork and tone of this book were warm and inviting from the very first page。 As an outdoor educator， I have helped children keep nature journals。 However， I have found that when I have time out in nature by myself I tend to use my phone to snap a picture to confirm an ID later， or simply observed and walked on。 There is a time and a place for that， but I would like to make a concerted effort to take the time to make the experience more immersive。 I appreciate that the author is clear and adamant from the beginning that nature journaling is for any age， ability， or location。 The information is accessible for all but also gives the tools to improve and challenge oneself。 This is one I am going to put on my shelf for frequent reference once it comes out！ 。。。more
Flora
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Sketching in journals whether it be for urban sketching or nature journaling seems to be all the rage these days。 And it's a good thing！ It's a marvelous hobby and it can literally change your life！ I do what is called art journaling where I document some of my days in mostly pictures and some words。Keeping a Nature Journal， 3rd Edition is great for beginners or a nature journaler who needs a refresher。 You will find many practical tips， tricks and techniques to start with here and you will be e Sketching in journals whether it be for urban sketching or nature journaling seems to be all the rage these days。 And it's a good thing！ It's a marvelous hobby and it can literally change your life！ I do what is called art journaling where I document some of my days in mostly pictures and some words。Keeping a Nature Journal， 3rd Edition is great for beginners or a nature journaler who needs a refresher。 You will find many practical tips， tricks and techniques to start with here and you will be encouraged by the author's you-can-do-it tone of voice。I like that she is not afraid to show some of her not-so-pretty drawings and pages because nature journaling is not about pretty drawings or paintings but more about observation。 I loved looking at pages contributed by other journalers too for inspiration and ideas。Clare Walker Leslie knows what she is talking about because she has kept an art journal for 40 years and has completed 55 journals so far。 Aside from that， she has taught nature journaling to many people in many places。 She encourages her readers to explore other resources to learn much more than what she presents in this book and has a great list of recommended books， websites， organizations and so on。One thing I felt that was rather unnecessary was the inclusion of a foreword by a professor where evolution is mentioned。。 Not everybody believes in evolution and in fact many see the great Creator as they journal about nature and nature journaling for them is a spiritual experience。 。。。more
Alicia Bayer
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