Family Nature Notebook


As you can see from this blog
our family enjoys nature.

I try to be intentional
about having our children
record their observations 
from nature and family outings
when appropriate.

My daughter (7 years) 
has a nature journal 
in which she makes drawings from nature
and from our nature reader.

Right now I have my son (4 years)
make drawings on paper
and he'll begin his own
nature journal next year.

Last year I came across the 
most amazing and beautiful of books.


Oh my.

It is the personal diary of this lady
from 1906.
The diary is separated by months,
in which she records her observations 
of nature and the weather for the entire year.
She includes drawings and quotations.

It is a piece of art.

What is more astounding is that she did not create
this diary for publication.
The diary was published
when found years later in the 1970's 
long after the author's death.

So I became inspired.

I wanted to begin a family journal
to do just what Edith did -
record through quotations and art
our observations of nature for one year.

Sometimes I get ahead of myself.

At this time in our family life it's not the season
to take on that type of project,
but I will keep the idea in mind.

However, I will not be deterred,
and to get us in the habit of recording 
I bought a simple notebook and our family
(mostly the children)
began recording our nature observations 
this Spring.

Currently, we simply record:
  • the day
  • the date
  • weather conditions
  • observations
  • location (where observed)
 


The idea is to get my children into the good habits
of observing and recording nature.
(I'm not going to be a stickler for handwriting
with this notebook!)

It is a start.

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