I have made two visits to the Isle of Wight in recent years and this is one of the most nature rich places I have visited. It is so accessible too - you seem to be always near a footpath that takes to or through an ancient woodland or grassland.
At Newtown Nature Reserve I was only a dozen steps into the woodland when I was suddenly surrounded by Marbled White Butterflies - a first for me and here they were all over the place.
So many Marbled White Butterflies!
A little further into the woodland and I found myself on the edge of salt marsh with glasswort and other salt loving plants. Skirting this salt marsh and heading towards Newtown Town Hall there is some lovely grassland which were covered in butterflies.
So many lovely grassland loving plants and insects.
So this year - 2025 - will see me make another couple of trips to teach workshops on how to create your own nature journal. This page has some resources that I hope will inspire you to come along and kickstart your own nature journal journey.
A spread of one of my mini journals.
Why is keeping a nature journal good for?
There is no right or wrong way, nor is there a “proper” way to keep a nature journal. I like to fill my journals with observations and song lyrics I hear - poems and snippets of information that I learn along the way. Importantly I feel connected to nature in a way that is personal.
Whilst drawing you will begin the journey of looking more closely and with more interest at the nature around you - not just the big and spectacular things but the equally special small things. And over time you will see more and more and want to record this too.
The other side of the mini journal.
I look back on some of my early journals and gain a lot of pleasure from noting the dates I first observe the sand martins arrive or when the swifts leave.
Drawing is Observation
Observation is Understanding
Understanding is Empathy
Empathy is Love
A mini concertina nature journal is easy to fill up and enjoy.
What for does my nature journal take?
A nature journal can be created in any form that you like - the main factor is that you have it with you at all times. I provide a small concertina style journal so that we can work together on creating a mini journal that is easy to fill and enjoy.
