Nature Journaling and Drawing
August 29–30, 2026
Instructor: Clare Walker Leslie
Cost: $295
Size: 12 Students
In this immersive nature journaling class, acclaimed naturalist, artist, and educator Clare Walker Leslie invites you to slow down, open your eyes, and deepen your connection with the natural world by learning to observe, record, and reflect through words and sketches in your own journal. This course combines mindful outdoor observation with simple drawing and writing techniques. We’ll practice drawing birds, animals, trees, and landscapes in the context of nature journaling, so that even naturalists with little to no art experience can feel more confident drawing in their journals. We’ll also explore how journaling is an important device for keeping record of citizen science and phenology, seasonal shifts, and climate change.
During this weekend of guided explorations of flora, fauna, and seasonal rhythms, we’ll practice noticing intricate details of our surroundings, integrating science and creativity, and together cultivating a richer, more meaningful relationship with nature and place.
Course Details
Goals and Objectives
- Develop skills in mindful observation, recording, and reflection through the practice of writing and sketching in a journal.
- Learn and practice accessible drawing and writing techniques for birds, animals, trees, and more as a way of ongoing recording of environmental changes.
- Learn to use nature journaling as a tool to document citizen science and phenological observations.
- Cultivate a richer, more meaningful relationship with the natural world.
About the Instructor
Clare Walker Leslie is a naturalist, artist, author, and educator who has been teaching nature drawing and journaling for nearly 50 years, and has published over fifteen books, including Keeping a Nature Journal, How to Look at a Bird, and The Curious Nature Guide: Explore the Natural Wonders All Around. Clare has lived in both Cambridge, Mass. and Granville, Vermont, so her studio has been portable, moving around – mostly outdoors. Her teachers, all these years, have been the European Wildlife Artists specifically – Eric Ennion of England, Gunnar Brusewitz of Sweden, and John Busby of Scotland.
Recommended Reading
Keeping a Nature Journal: Deepen your Connection with the Natural World All Around You. 3rd Edition. 2021. Clare Walker Leslie.
Meals & Lodging
We will provide coffee, tea, and light breakfast fare (pastries, etc.) each morning. Participants should bring their own lunches and snacks. Camping is available onsite by request.
Location & Timing
Course begins 9 AM on Saturday and Sunday at North Branch Nature Center. Course ends by 5 PM on Sunday.
Physical Requirements
Participants must be able to travel at least a mile each day on mostly-flat grass and dirt trails at NBNC. Participants should be comfortable outside in potentially hot, cold or wet conditions for long periods of time. Please reach out to us if you have any questions about mobility and/or other accessibility needs.
Academic Credit & Professional Development
This course may qualify for 1 graduate-level credit for an additional $200 course fee. All BioU courses are accredited by Castleton University. Participants interested in receiving credit must contact us in advance so we have time to arrange course accreditation. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that home institutions will accept the credit. Participants pursuing academic credit will be required to complete an additional assignment above and beyond the course hours, including literature review, reflective writing, or a field-based project.
This course qualifies for 20 hours of professional development hours and continuing education units. Certificates of completion are provided at the conclusion of the course.
Financial Support
We have financial support available for most courses! Please head to our Financial Support page to learn more and request financial support. Support is limited, but we do our best to make sure that participants are not turned away for financial reasons. Since many courses fill quickly, we suggest submitting your financial support request after registering for the course if you are able. Or you may email us after submitting your request to ask us to temporarily hold a space for you.
Cancellation Policy
While we realize that unexpected circumstances arise that are out of our control, North Branch Nature Center cannot guarantee refunds for registrations cancelled within 30 days of the course. If a cancellation occurs within this window, NBNC will attempt to fill the space from our wait list and provide a full refund. If the course needs to be cancelled by NBNC, we will provide a full refund.