For foragers, herbalists, kids, and anyone learning to notice
Some mornings, I walk outside with a mug of tea and my notebook. Not to write a story—at least not right away—but to notice.
What’s blooming along the fence line? Where are the bees working this week? Did the same red-shouldered hawk return to the oak tree again?
This is the heart of nature journaling: not perfection or performance, but paying attention. Whether you’re foraging wild plants, learning herbalism, or simply hoping to connect more deeply with the natural world (or a child’s curiosity), a nature journal can become a quiet companion in your journey.
A Brief History of Nature Journals
Nature journaling has long been part of how we learn and remember. Henry David Thoreau used his notebooks not just to record observations but to trace his relationship with the seasons. Beatrix Potter, better known for Peter Rabbit, was a skilled mycologist whose watercolor journals documented British fungi in remarkable detail. Herbalists across time have copied recipes, sketched medicinal plants, recorded folklore, and passed on remedies this way.
Your journal doesn’t have to look like theirs. It doesn’t need perfect drawings or scientific labels. It just needs to hold what you see, what you wonder, and what you want to remember.
Who Is It For?
Foragers: to record what’s in season, where it grows, and what you used it for.
Herbalists-in-training: to track new plant allies, preparations, and personal observations.
Gardeners: to note bloom cycles, harvest dates, and companion plants.
Writers & artists: to capture the world through fresh, sensory-rich eyes.
Families & kids: to cultivate wonder, observation skills, and outdoor connection.
You can do this alone, with your children, or as a shared ritual with a friend. There are no rules.
What to Include in a Nature Journal
Your journal can be as structured or as wild as your garden. But here are some ideas to get you started:
Plant Observations
Common name, Latin name (if you know it)
Where you saw it
Date, weather, moon phase
Notes on color, scent, texture
Sketches or photos (taped in)
Whether it’s edible, medicinal, or simply beautiful
Foraging & Harvest Logs
What you gathered and where (note: always forage responsibly!)
How you processed or prepared it
Recipes, tea blends, salves, tinctures
Seasonal Tracking
First hummingbird sighting
When the goldenrod blooms
How the sunrise shifts on your windowsill
Reflections & Memory
What a plant reminds you of
A moment when you felt calm in nature
Quotes from books or field guides
Dreams, smells, or snippets of conversation
What Kind of Journal to Use?
You don’t need anything fancy.
For watercolor sketches: Mixed media or watercolor paper journal
For daily notes and checklists: Lined or dotted notebook
For field use: Waterproof field notebook or one with a hard cover
For kids: Composition book, scrapbook-style, or printable journal pages
Tip: Keep a glue stick or tape handy for adding pressed leaves or photographs.
For Families and Kids
Nature journaling with children isn’t about perfect handwriting or plant ID. It’s about storytelling. Let them name a pine cone “Sir Needles.” Let them draw a squirrel with six legs. Let them press a flower they found in the driveway.
You’re giving them a memory practice, a noticing practice, a sense that their observations matter.
Start With This
Don’t wait until you know the names of every flower.
Don’t wait until your handwriting is neat or your sketchbook is clean.
Start with:
The sound of the wind through the screen door
The way the bees gathered near the rosemary
The color of the berries you found near the fence line
That’s enough. That’s everything.
Whatever you grow, whatever you gather—start writing it down. You’ll be amazed how much the world starts to open when you bring a notebook with you.
Happy noticing,
🌿 L.S. Scott