1st June 2021

Words

We will start the week with a focus on words in our journal. Words can be in the form of poetry, prose, labels, lists, personal reflective writing and more. Using words in your nature journal is a way of deepening your understanding of the world around you and connecting with thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to articulate.

Today we are going to explore words in our nature journal through the resources and live workshops you can find on this page.
Click the links below to learn more about each workshop and explore the nature journal prompts, ideas and resources.

Workshops

There will be two live workshops today to celebrate using words in our nature journals. Please click the links below to learn more about each workshop.

Nature journaling prompts and ideas

• Prose - Write in your nature journal about your experiences in nature. You can write about what you experience with all your senses, about where you are and what you’re feeling. It could become a little story, with descriptions to set the scene, or it could be just a couple of sentences to remind you of the moment.
  

• Poetry - Poetry is a wonderful way to distill nature experiences into a short and powerful snapshot. There are many different ways to write a poem and you can use whichever form feels good and comfortable for you. You may like to try haiku, which is a traditional Japanese form of poetry consisting of three short lines that capture a moment in nature.
  

• Labels - When you have sketched or drawn something in your journal, you can add words to your drawing, in the form of labels. Draw a line coming from one part of the sketch and add a label to describe it. In this way, you begin turning your sketches into diagrams and capturing even more information about your natural subject.
  

• Titles - A title can a be a nice way to use words to enhance your nature journal page. A title can summarise your page and bring another graphic element, when you use decorative hand lettering.
  

• Descriptions - Sometimes we encounter things in nature that are difficult, or impossible, to capture in a sketch. This is when words are useful. We can describe things in words in a different way, capturing more information about our surroundings. Try using words to describe the sounds around you, textures, animal movements or anything else that is difficult to capture using images.
  

• Reflections - Words can be used to explore the feelings that we have inside us while we are in nature. You might find yourself experiencing feelings of awe, or wonder, at the things you see around you. Or you might have feelings of fear, sadness, joy or elation. The whole spectrum of feelings can arrive when we sit quietly in the natural world. Our lives aren’t separate from nature. Taking a moment to be still and quiet might allow feelings to arrive that we haven’t reflected on for some time. Allow feelings to come. Welcome them and explore them in your journal, if that feels comfortable for you.

• Verbal discussions - Remember that when journaling with young children, they might not be writing yet. Talking with them about what they see/hear/smell/touch/taste/experience in nature is another way of using words, just without writing them down!

Learn more