Nature journaling is sitting somewhere outside and paying close attention: to a leaf, a bird, the clouds, the way the light hits a wall. You write down and sketch what you see, ask questions about it and note how it connects to things you already know.
Nature journaling is keeping a record of what you observe outdoors using words, pictures and numbers. To start, take a notebook and pencil somewhere with something alive in it, write the date, time, place and weather, then choose one thing and write what you notice, what you wonder about it and what it reminds you of. You don’t need to be able to draw.
Fill in a nature journal page
Go outside, even just to a window or a doorstep. Pick one thing to look at, then work through the steps.
Step 1 of 5 · Where and when
Date, time, place, weather, temperature if you know it. What can you hear?
Step 2 of 5 · I notice
Color, shape, texture, size, movement, smell. Write at least five things.
Step 3 of 5 · I wonder
Questions, not answers. Why is it that shape? What eats it? Where will it be in a month?
Step 4 of 5 · It reminds me of
Something similar you’ve seen, a memory, a place, a word.
Step 5 of 5 · Numbers
How many petals, how long the leaf is next to your thumb, how many birds in ten minutes.
Done
Nothing you write here is stored or sent. Copy or download it before you close the page.
Quick takeaways
- Nature journaling mixes words, pictures and numbers about what you see outside.
- The core method: write what you notice, what you wonder and what it reminds you of.
- Start every page with the date, time, place and weather.
- You don’t need to draw well. Quick sketches, labels and arrows count.
- A park, a garden, a window box or the view from a window all work.
What is nature journaling?
Nature journaling is the practice of observing nature closely and recording it on paper with a mix of writing, sketches and measurements. It’s less about making beautiful pages and more about looking carefully and staying curious.
Naturalist and educator John Muir Laws builds the practice around three prompts: “I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of.” He also suggests combining three ways of recording on each page: words, pictures and numbers. His introduction is clear that the point is to look deeply, not to produce polished artwork.
What do you need to start a nature journal?
You need a small notebook, a pencil or pen, and somewhere outside. A few extras help, like a small ruler, colored pencils and something to sit on, but none are required.
| Essentials | Nice to have |
|---|---|
| A small notebook with plain or dotted pages | Colored pencils or a travel watercolor set |
| A pencil and a pen | A small ruler or tape measure |
| Somewhere outside, or a window | A magnifying glass or phone camera for close-ups |
| Ten to twenty minutes | Something to sit on, a warm layer |
How do you start nature journaling, step by step?
Go outside, write the date, time, place and weather, pick one thing to focus on, then write what you notice, what you wonder and what it reminds you of. Add a quick sketch and at least one number, and finish with a question you want to come back to.
- Go somewhere. A park, a garden, a street tree or a window with a view. Close to home makes it easy to repeat.
- Write the header. Date, time, place, weather, temperature. These details turn pages into a record over time.
- Choose one thing. A leaf, a flower, a bird, a cloud, an insect, a puddle. One is easier than a whole landscape.
- Write what you notice. Color, shape, texture, size, movement, sound. Aim for at least five observations.
- Sketch it quickly. Draw the outline and label the parts. A rough sketch with good labels is more useful than a pretty drawing.
- Add numbers. Count petals, measure a leaf against your thumb, time how long a bird stays.
- Write what you wonder. Questions only. You don’t need to answer them.
- Write what it reminds you of. A memory, another plant or animal, a place, a feeling.
- Come back. Return to the same spot next week and see what’s changed.
Nature journal prompts
Nature journal prompts give you one thing to look for, which is easier than facing a whole landscape. Pick one prompt per session and stay with it for ten minutes.
- Find the smallest living thing you can see. Describe it.
- Draw one leaf from three angles.
- Count how many different greens you can see.
- Sit still for five minutes and list every sound.
- Follow one insect for as long as you can. Where does it go?
- Draw the shape of a cloud, then again two minutes later.
- Find something that has been changed by weather: a worn stone, a bent branch, a puddle.
- Compare two leaves from different trees. What’s the same, and what’s different?
- What’s flowering right now? What’s finished?
- Watch a bird. What is it doing, and why do you think so?
- Find signs that an animal was here: tracks, holes, nibbled leaves, feathers.
- Draw the view from the same window every week for a month.
- Measure the shadow of a post or tree at two different times of day.
- Find something that smells. Describe the smell without using the word “nice.”
- Choose one tree and visit it once a season.
What can you nature journal in each season?
Every season changes what you can find: new leaves and nests in spring, insects and flowers in summer, seeds and color changes in fall, and bare branches, tracks and bird behavior in winter. Returning to the same spot through the year shows those changes on the page.
- Spring: buds opening, first flowers, birds building nests, frog eggs in ponds.
- Summer: insects, flowers and pollinators, long shadows, storms.
- Fall: seeds and nuts, leaves changing color, fungi, birds gathering.
- Winter: tree shapes without leaves, animal tracks, frost patterns, birds at feeders.
What if you can’t draw?
You don’t need to. Use labeled outlines, arrows, simple shapes and plenty of words and numbers. Your sketches will improve with practice, but the observations are what make a nature journal useful.
- Draw big, simple outlines and add labels instead of shading.
- Use arrows to show movement, like which way a bird flew.
- Take a photo for reference and sketch from it later.
- Write the colors down instead of coloring in.
For other journaling styles that mix pictures and words, see art journaling. For the full list of journaling methods, see the types of journaling.
Nature journaling questions
Do you have to be good at drawing to nature journal?
No. Nature journaling is about observation. Words, labels and numbers are as much a part of it as sketches.
How often should you nature journal?
As often as you get outside. A weekly session in the same place shows the seasons change on the page. Even ten minutes counts.
Can you nature journal from a window?
Yes. A window view of a tree, the sky or a bird feeder is a good place to start, especially in bad weather.
What’s the difference between nature journaling and a field notebook?
A field notebook is usually a scientific record of observations. A nature journal includes observations too, but also questions, reflections and connections to your own life.
Is nature journaling good for kids?
Yes. “I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of” works at any age. Younger children can draw and label while an adult writes their questions down.
Mike Arnold
Mike is a first-year counselling student who has journaled on and off for most of his life. He writes the how-to guides and the occasional bit of philosophy. About our writers
