Nature Journaling

In nature we are surrounded by invertebrates and vertebrates. Again look down and look out and look up and you will be amazed at the diversity of life around you.

Insects are everywhere. In fact, insects make up the largest percent of living things in the world. There are bees that buzz, flies that land, beetles that crawl, ants that march, moths that flap their wings, mosquitoes that bite, spiders that build webs and so on. Look around you. Look down and you will find many insects in the soil of the earth. Look out and you will see pollinators moving from flower to flower spreading pollen to feed bees, regenerate plants, and feed the food chain. Insects come in endless shapes, sizes, and design. Each one plays a role in the web of life. Draw as many insects as you see and look up their names when you return home. Upload your insect drawings to the gallery.

Plants are amazingly diverse. They come in so many sizes, shapes, colors, textures. From lichen, moss, fungi, and flowers to sedges, grasses, stalks, shrubs, and trees, plants have evolved over millions of years, covering earth’s lands with deserts, tundra, prairies to grasslands, wetlands, forests, accommodating habitats for diverse life forms all over the planet. Plants help to retain water, decompose waste, take in carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen to clean our air; the diversity of plants varies from biome to biome due to temperature range, moisture availability, sunshine or shade, and soil nutrition.

Documenting the biodiversity of plants in specific locations is a form of citizen scientist data collection that can help scientists understand the health of the area, as well as better understand the regenerative cycle of seeding, growing, blooming, multiplying, receding seasonally, and decaying before sprouting again. You may also encounter plants that you do not know. Record them via drawings or photos to check if they are indigenous or invasive. What kind of plant are you?