‘Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.’  ~ John Muir

Connecting with nature, without the journal — dare I say it? As much as I love journaling, sketching what I see, and connecting with nature via close observation; there are times when the journal can get in the way.

Much like having our phones constantly in our faces, technology always at the ready, there are times when the sketchbook becomes the reason for being out in nature. The sketchbook can become a wall of sorts that we hide behind. We sketch, we observe, but we’re never quite aware that we are actually a part of what is happening around us.

Here is a short account of what happened to me when I was too hot and tired to sketch, and just sat.

A spur of the moment Nature Journaling trip that ended with me spending 30 minutes that felt like only 5 ~ #inthemoment

A Hot Saturday in June

It was blazingly hot out on a recent Saturday; temperatures in the 90s, but the sun was out! Woohoo! After a week and a half of rain and the wettest spring on record here where I live, I decided to brave the heat for a much needed hike through the woods. I made the short drive to my favorite nearby park.

There were only a few other souls out and about, willing to brave the heat. I could hear myself think. I could hear the birds singing, and the water trickling in the creek — bliss! There is a very specific smell on hot days in the summer — damp and wet in the darkest areas of old growth forest; sunny and dry with a hint of green and grassy in the meadow. 

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Connecting with Nature Requires Learning to Tune-In

It always takes me a while to ‘tune in’ to the nature around me. Honestly, my mind was busy cataloging; ‘I need to add that bird to my list, I wonder what species of dragonfly that is, look at that interesting fungus on the fallen log, I should sketch that.‘ While there is nothing inherently wrong with any of this, I think what I really craved was simply a quiet connection.

After taking a short lunch break and re-hydrating, I thought I’d stay longer and hike another trail at this park, albeit a shorter one. As I knew that the bullfrog pond was not far into this trail; I continued on. But the heat started wearing on me, so I decided to sit on a bench in the shade at the pond. A school of bluegill, ever watchful for any movement that might indicate an easy snack, saw me sit; and congregated at the edge of the little boardwalk nearby. 

At the Pond

Every time a slight breeze happened to drop a leaf into the water, there was a flurry of activity from the fish. We began to get into a little rhythm as we rested there together in the shade. I could sense their presence and their movements without watching so intently. After a few minutes of sitting quietly, the dragonflies determined that I was not a threat and began to skim the pond. Of course, every time they touched the water the bluegill hurried to capture them; once even jumping out of the water! Who knew little bluegill could jump?

Connecting With Nature– Becoming One

I almost gave up on the bullfrogs, assuming they were napping in the shade of the reeds, hoping to wait out the worst of the heat. I was wrong. They were simply waiting for the surety of safety as well, and began their loud, hoarse croaking from the far side of the pond. I sat there without agenda and was simply in the moment. I had a real sense that I had become a part of this idyllic little scene. Closing my eyes, listening; I became a part of that little pond ecosystem, if only for a little while.

This is the moment of connection with nature. This is a moment of magic and reverence.

Nature Journaling After the Experience

OK, so I did end up with a journal page. My experience at the pond that day was so magical, I wanted to put it down on paper so that I could remember more clearly what it felt like. Once home, I grabbed my journal and wrote about my day, followed by sketching from photos to help enhance the memory. This is not ‘cheating’. There is nothing wrong with using photo references. This is your nature journal. This is your experience.

Oh and, . . . the act of telling you my story is another way to cement the experience into memory — simply journal about it with words!

While this article has focused on using other means to capture our nature experiences, I do believe that sketching can be a very valuable way to record our adventures. Think you can’t draw? I believe that anyone with a desire to draw can learn! It’s easier than you think to get started.

For even more help, check out our blog post on Overcoming Your Fear of the Sketchbook!