cover203571-medium “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.”

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My Review

This is such a fabulous book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading and discovering how to go about keeping a nature journal. I especially loved the author’s sketches included throughout the book, they were are real treat and inspiration!

I’ve been taking nature photos for years as part of the blipfoto community, but have been looking for something different to maybe compliment it and this is exactly the right book to help me pursue it.

I began reading this arc on my PC which is never a good idea, so when the NetGalley app had had a better update I read it on my tablet and got so much more out of it than I anticipated.

The author starts off exploring the whole concept of a nature journal, basically keeping an eye on the seasons and the weather and how it affects wildlife and the natural world. Then she explains how to go about keeping your own journal by making notes and also how to draw what you see. I’m not an artist by any sense of the word, but this book made me feel that perhaps I could maybe draw something other than a stick man! The easy to follow diagrams have made me very excited about having a go at drawing simple leaves, flowers trees and possibly birds,  animals and landscapes! 

And this book is not just for adults, but for children as well. There are some wonderful instructions for encouraging children and teachers how to set up nature journaling at home and in the classroom.

I definitely recommend this book if you’d to keep a nature journal or know someone who’d like to . I can’t wait for this to be published next year so I can buy my own copy and start my own nature journal!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for my digital copy via the NetGalley app.