A page from Clare’s Nature Journal seasonal entries in Northern Woodlands magazine, summer 2025

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.