Challenge Day Six: Nature Journaling Change and Process

Home » Challenge Day Six: Nature Journaling Change and Process

Have you ever nature journaled a process or change over time?

Today’s Prompt: Nature Journaling Change and Process

Some of the most fascinating things we can witness in nature are dynamic processes. Breaking waves at the ocean, flowers emerging from green buds, mushrooms popping open and then decaying. However, our nature journal pages are often static. We often depict stationary animals or even easier, un-moving plants. Is the medium we are working in bad at capturing changes, process, or action? Why do most people avoid nature journaling such topics even though they love just watching them? Luckily, we have some great tools to help you nature journal change over time or natural processes.

How to Nature Journal Change

First, choose a subject and make a plan. This might require repeat observations over several days. For example, if you are watching a flower develop you might need to plan for a week or more of multiple observations. Be realistic with what you take on. Furthermore, choosing something near your home or in your kitchen is practical. such as this crystal growing kit that takes a few days .
Importantly, if you have less time, choose a process that demonstrates interesting changes in a matter of hours or half a day. Examples could include: part of a plant drying out or producing a latex to cover a nick on the stem. Many plants or fruit will change color and shrivel after being cut. In addition there are abiotic examples. For example, ice crystal formation, salt crystal formation, or other chemical reactions can easily and safely play with in your kitchen. Think baker’s yeast, baking soda reactions etc. Even muffins rising in the over.
Next, plan your page. Two important reminders: try to use the three languages of nature journaling (words, numbers, and images) and try to create a consistent and organized page layout. Numbers, such as measurements, are going to be essential for monitoring change of many things. How many centimeters did the brownies rise? Did its weight change? How big are the cracks that formed on the chocolatey surface?
Finally, a great trick for nature journaling change and process, is to find something where you can see different stages of growth all at once. Check out this video where John Muir Laws explains it.