6th June 2022, 4:00 PM Pacific (7th June, 9:00 AM AEST)

Melinda nakagawa -

Care

We invite you to nature journal something in your nearby nature that you care about and to share your nature journal page with someone in your life, or with the online nature journal community.  Dr. Edith Widder shares her amazing discoveries about bioluminescence to inspire care for the ocean through her writing and lectures, while Hannah Shand uses her art to bring the stories of extinct species to life and to inspire care for those that still exist. This practice can even be used to document a creature that you care for!

Your nature journal can be a place to record the ways you or others are caring for nature. Nature journaling can be a way to document our own stories of stewardship (main workshop begins at minute 4:50), or the work of restoration practitioners. If you work in the field of conservation do you use your nature journal in your work, as this restoration ecologist does?

People all over the world are using their love of nature to make a difference. Explore these inspiring stories to see what’s happening in your area. We can each play a role, big or small, in fostering a culture of care for nature in our communities, and nature journaling can be part of that. This article describes how spending reflective time in nature can contribute to a culture of conservation. Is there a small step that you can take to encourage care for nature?

Treat your time outdoors in nature, with or without your nature journal, as an act of self-care. Are your nature journal outings bringing ease and joy into your life? This article has some simple reminders to help invite ease into your days. In some countries you can get a nature prescription from your doctor! Your community may offer outdoor self-care programs through your local library, community center or city parks & recreation.