Journaling With Nature

Marley Peifer is a nature journal educator and mentor who is also the creator of The Nature Journal show, a weekly YouTube show specifically about nature journaling. In his videos Marley takes us along with him on his adventures, nature journaling outdoors, or in extreme places. He also shares information on his process, techniques, gear and favourite art tools, as well as interviews with other nature journalers. Marley has a lot of experience mentoring others on how to create a good mindset, how to start and keep going, stay motivated, bust barriers and journal more!   Listen to hear more about:Marley’s childhood experiences in nature.Fearless Friday and how Marley is working to combat the trap of creating ‘pretty pictures’.Growth mindset vs fixed mindset and how this relates to nature journaling.The importance of appropriate feedback around effort, for reinforcing a growth mindset. Marley’s adventures creating The Nature Journal Show.Nature journaling generalists vs specialists.Marley’s vocabulary of ‘Bread and butter’, ‘Juice’ and ‘Growth Edge’ and what these terms mean.Find out more about Marley and on his website marleypeifer.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.Marley has a new distance learning program called The Nature Journal Family, which is a month-long nature journaling adventure aimed to deepen your connection with nature and community. You can find out all the details here.Marley’s video on the Nature Journaling Mindset can be found here.If you enjoy Marley’s work, you can support him on Patreon.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Patricia Larenas is an artist and gardener with a passion for nature, and especially for trees. Her tree portraits capture the iconic trees around her in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also investigates alternative art materials through creating her own natural inks and hand-made journals. When choosing art materials, Patricia’s concern for nature is always in her mind. She prefers to use recycled paper wherever she can, uses high quality 100% cotton paper for finished pieces, and explores alternatives like xuan paper (rice paper) and bamboo.Patricia loves gardening, seed saving and how seeds can be the ‘carriers of culture’, connecting people to their cultural roots and to each other. Listen to hear more about:The importance of nature connection through books, during Patricia’s childhood.The deep connection Patricia has had with trees throughout her life.The process of tackling complex tree shapes in a drawing.How she makes her own inks from natural materials she has foraged or found herself.The process of book binding hand-made sketchbooks.Seed saving and ethnography of foods, and how seeds have moved around the world through patterns of migration and colonisation. To see Patricia’s artwork, follow this link to her Instagram page @plarenas_onpaper. You can find her gardening and seed saving blog at www.urbanartichoke.com.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Emeritus Professor Roger Kitching AM is a rainforest ecologist with a focus on biology, conservation and management of invertebrate biodiversity. Roger has conducted research studies in places all over the world including Panama, China, France, Réunion, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Having kept field journals for most of his adult life, Roger has unique insights into the importance of journals for capturing details of field expeditions, both for scientific purposes and for personal memories. Listen to hear more about:Roger’s early experiences as a young naturalist in north Yorkshire.Roger’s first expeditions during his university days and how he started keeping field journals.How he uses his field journals to gather details for longer pieces of writing intended for publication.The experience of leading students from Griffith University on field trips to the rainforest of Borneo for 13 years.How keeping a field journal connects Roger with field naturalists in history. During the interview we talked about the book Field Notes on Science and Nature (Edited by Michael Canfield). You can find it here.Professor Kitching has authored or co-authored five books including: The Butterflies of Australia (Albert Orr and Roger Kitching).Professor Kitching received the Gregor Johann Mendel Medal for the Advancement of Biological Sciences. Read about it here.You can find his professional profile on Linkedin. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Sterre Verbokkem works under the name ‘Illustrator of Wild Things’. She lives off-grid on a mountain in Spain, with her husband and son, surrounded by nature and wildlife. She uses both digital and traditional art techniques to create magical illustrations of the things around her. Listen to hear more about:The important significance of crows in Sterre’s childhood.How Sterre started keeping a nature journal.The process of creating both digital and hand drawn nature art.How limiting materials or colours helps Sterre focus more closely on her subject and create a unified body of work.Sterre’s ‘trail camera’…what it is and how she uses it to get a glimpse into the life of the animals around her home.How living off-grid allows Sterre and her family to be connected to nature and natural cycles.The mindfulness apps created by Sterre and her husband Mark, designed to connect listeners with nature and the relaxation that it can bring.  You can find Sterre online through her website illustratorofwildthings.com and on Instagram @illustratorofwildthings.Learn more about Sterre’s mindfulness apps at https://wildventures.nl and https://yourwildjourney.com.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Lee Angold is a botanical and natural science illustrator with an interest in representing nature in a way that encourages others to see the detail and beauty in even simple, everyday subjects. A self-taught artist with an impressive depth of knowledge on colour and watercolour paints, Lee offers many insights into nature art and nature journaling during our conversation. Listen to hear more about:How Lee found her way back to natural science illustration via Engineering school.Experimenting with watercolour and  how Lee has come to ‘know’ her paints.Her different palettes and how she developed her colour choices.The one colour that Lee could not live without!The Daily Leaf project and how Lee painted every day for an entire year.Lee’s conference trip to Australia and the realisations she had on her return.  You can connect with Lee online through her website www.leeangold.com, Instagram @leeangold and Facebook. Lee also has an active Youtube channel where she uploads videos on her painting process, colour explorations, sketchbook tours and live painting sessions.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Tom is an ecologist, photographer and nature advocate with a particular passion for ornithology. Tom's work takes him to remote and beautiful locations around Australia. Listen to hear more about:Tom’s PhD research looking at bird communities along the floodplains of the Murray River.Extinction debt and how land clearing is affecting bird populations in Australia.How Tom manages hope and despair as an ecologist who sees the best and the worst aspects of nature and land management.The Threatened Species Bake-off and Tom’s culinary creations!How nature journaling has brought Tom back to art and creativity in 2020. Connect with Tom on Instagram @moth_nut (be sure to watch some of his nature walks) and on Twitter @moth_nut.Learn more about the Threatened Species Bake off here. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Melinda Nakagawa is a scientist, nature connection mentor and nature journal teacher. Melinda has a background in marine biology and brings a scientist’s eye to her nature journal observations. Her work is all about gently guiding others to connect with the natural world by tapping into curiosity and wonder. In this way, Melinda is able to bridge nature, science, art and heart in her work. Listen to hear more about:Melinda’s early nature experiences on her family flower farm.Melina’s ‘spark bird’ and how she came to ornithology.How sharing our joy of nature with others can be a gift that just might change a person’s life.The international community of nature journalers that is growing  due to the changes that have happened globally in 2020.The benefits of an online format for nature journaling communities.How nature journaling in community can be fun and encouraging. How to give feedback that encourages and guides others, without focusing on pretty pictures. Leaning into the ‘heart’ while nature journaling and how we can begin to go at nature’s pace. Find Melinda’s work on her website sparkinnature.com. For more information about Melinda’s nature journaling classes visit this page. Join in the virtual meetings of the Monterey Bay Nature Journal Club.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Alex Boon is a nature artist and writer from East Devon, UK. His work centres around the wildlife and landscapes of Britain and embodies a deep sense of place. From his first nature experiences as a child, through his development as an artist, to his current projects, this conversation explores Alex’s practice and process as a nature journaler and writer.Listen to hear more about:How journal keeping can preserve detailed memories of place and time.The four different types of journal Alex keeps, and why.The power of nature writing.How Alex brings his meditation practice to nature.Lapine Botanica, an art project inspired by the book Watership Down.Find out more about Alex and his work at alexboonart.com as well as on Instagram @alexboonart. The artworks in the series Lapine Botanica can be purchased as cards, postcards, stickers and art prints from Alex’s Etsy store. Some of the artists and nature writers that Alex mentioned:Lara Gastinger.Edith Holden. Robert Macfarlane. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Tania Marien is an independent educator who aims to facilitate connection with nature through her projects. Tania is the host of Talaterra podcast, a show where she investigates the contribution that freelance environmental educators make to lifelong learning in communities. In this episode Tania talks about her days creating opportunities for people to connect with plants through art and creativity.Listen to hear more about:Tania’s first memories of being in nature.How Tania started ArtPlantae, a project aimed at helping others understand and connect with plants.Using art activities to investigate plants during community events.Tania’s favourite art media and drawing techniques.The Freelance Condition and Lifelong Learning in Communities project.Find out more about Tania and her work at www.talaterra.com and www.taniamarien.com as well as on Twitter. Read about ArtPlantae here.Listen to Talaterra podcast to hear stories of freelance environmental professionals from around the world. To connect with other freelance environmental professionals, visit The Trailhead, an open forum for independent environmental educators.Tania has a page on bookshop.org where you can browse her curated list of books on environmental education for adults and children.Here are several plant books for children (some are reviewed by Tania on  ArtPlantae):Understanding Photosynthesis with Max Axiom, Super ScientistWhy would anyone cut a tree down? - Roberta MurzyńskiA Log’s Life - Wendy Pfeffer and Robin BrinkmanWho will plant a tree? - Jerry Pallotta and Tom LeonardFrom Seed to Plant - Gail GibbonsA Seed is Sleepy - Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Julia Bausenhardt is an illustrator and nature enthusiast who teaches art techniques through connection with nature. She uses her sketchbook as a tool for exploration, experimentation and discovery.Living in the small city of Kassel, Germany, Julia uses her nature journal to explore the magical landscape that was the setting for the stories of The Brothers Grimm. As a nature journaling teacher, Julia's gentle style and enthusiasm for nature shines through and you will have the feeling that you are learning from a friend. Listen to hear more about:How nature experiences in Julia’s childhood and encouragement from her parents helped foster her love of nature.How Julia uses her sketchbook as a tool for exploration, experimentation and discovery.How Julia came to love birds and sketching birds.The fairy tale landscape where Julia lives, in Kassel, Germany.The experience of quitting social media and Julia’s reasons for taking this step.For more information and to see Julia’s work, take a look at her website juliabausenhardt.com and Youtube channel. Julia’s blog post Q & A one year after quitting social media:One year after I quit social media Q & A Part 1.One year after I quit social media Q & A Part 2.Julia mentioned Bernd Heinrich, nature writer and biologist who influenced her in her early years. You can find out more here.The book Bethan mentioned was The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy by Michael McCarthy. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com