While everyone’s notebooks will be unique, in this video, Nicole demonstrates how she keeps a nature notebook, including recording things seen on a recent nature walk and making a brushdrawing of a winter weed found near home.
This video was originally shared at the ADE at HOME Virtual Conference in 2022.
(26:44 min.)
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Reviews
It Finally Clicked!
This made nature Journaling so simple and do-able! Even though I was first drawn to CM (in 2004!) largely by nature journals, it never really clicked. I made it too complicated. Entrepreneurial moms on the internet trying to sell me a nature study curriculum made it too complicated and said I was doing it wrong so then there was guilt and panic! Lol. Not anymore! Thank you, Nicole! I wish I had seen this video years ago!
What can a 27 min video do..
If you ever wondered what a 27 min video could do to your life, your family’s educational journey and overall wellbeing, I am going to attempt to describe what it has done to ours.
I sat down to watch it and was captivated instantly. Nicole takes us on a nature walk with her – and this was the first aha moment for me. The questions she ponders on, the things she notices and the WAY she does it has (finally!) made me realise how nature study could be and should be done. I have attempted to do it on and off for several years and this video has made it all clear for me. Wish I watched it earlier!
Now the second part of the video will show Nicole making an entry in her journal, both the text and drawing. Again, it was a light bulb moment for me. I could see the way to organise those ideas on paper after being on a nature walk, how to set our table to facilitate pleasurable time while drawing etc. Those details do make a difference.
At the end of the video we get more practical suggestions at what paints, brushes, paper to use for our journalling. Very detailed advice. I personally was overwhelmed looking for nature journals and materials before, and this last part of the video has eliminated wasteful purchases and gave me directions.
I walked away after watching this inspired, enlightened (yes, enlightened, not just informed!) and motivated, thinking that now I could help my own child to keep a journal and be successful in nature study. The next day we went for a nature walk and I saw surroundings through different lenses. It’s like Nicole put special nature study glasses on me and I wondered, and looked, and marvelled, and noticed, and we talked about it! Then suddenly I realised I wanted to do it ALL myself too – the walk, the journalling.. ! ‘Forget the kid, what about me?’ (Joking here, please smile with me). So I pulled out a notebook and made my own entry. I felt so much peace while doing it – just therapeutic! Our son got even more engaged into his journalling seeing me being engrossed in mine. He asked me daily this past week to go again, collect specimen and make another entry. And this comes from a very reluctant, used to hate science 10 yo boy.
Can you put a price tag on that? I would say it is priceless. Oh, but wait, here it is – next to Nicole’s video! 🙂
I hope it blesses your family as much or even more than ours!
P.S. I also recommend Nicole’s Nature Explorers guides as perfect companions to this video. Those deserve their own review
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