January Nature Journal

How does the world around you change over the month of January? Share your experiences of the natural world wherever you live!

At least twice a week, fill at least one journal page with observations about the natural world around you, in both words and images. This can be in a book or on separate sheets of paper, and it’s ok if a book does not end up full by the end. Short words and simple sketches are fine; the focus is on observations of nature, you do not need to make great works of art or literature. Include the date on each page. Other useful information is the location, time of day, and weather conditions.

You can share observations about animals, plants, the weather, bodies of water, and anything else in the natural world. You can record observations of different things each day, or repeat observations of the same thing to see how it changes (for me, it will be winter, and I could talk about snow falling and melting and ice forming, how birds puff up their feathers to keep warm, and how often squirrels dig into my flower pots on the back porch.) Use this as an opportunity to deepen your connection to the land where you live, and to practice noticing the beauty that is around you - you don’t have to make trips to go to parks or remote locations; nature exists in cities too! Or if you are traveling, you can explore the differences between locations.

If you are unable to write and/or draw this much by hand, it is ok to type and print out photos that you have taken.

This is an international swap, so do be patient with international mail. I suggest taking pictures of your journal before you send it, so if it gets lost in the mail you can still show your partner what you recorded. Having a tracking number for your package is also recommended.