September

Nature Journaling

I’ve always enjoyed the image Aldo Leopold depicts of himself in “Great Possessions,” the July chapter in A Sand County Almanac. He writes, “at 3:30 a.m., with such dignity as I can muster of a July morning, I step from my cabin door, bearing in either hand my emblems of sovereignty, a coffee pot and notebook. I seat myself on a bench, facing the white wake of the morning star. I set the pot beside me. I extract a cup from my shirt front, hoping none will notice its informal mode of transport. I get out my watch, pour coffee, and lay notebook on knee. This is the cue for the proclamations to begin.”

He is waiting for the first morning birds to begin their caroling. He will continue through dawn, noting their calls and adding poetic prose about their suspected doings. I think I like the coffee cup part the best.

Leopold is now famous for the musings etched in that notebook on his knee. His simple journal of observations in nature is now considered – at least by his biographer, Curt Meine, and many others before and since – “the [environmental] movement’s “bible” or its “scripture.””

Leopold not only captured his daily reflections regarding the natural world and our connection to the land but he – and his daughter after him – kept careful track of over seventy plant and animal species on an annual basis. For over 80 years the Leopold family have marked their observations of cycling biological events such as flowering, fruiting, bird migration, or animal reproduction.

This practice and science of denoting seasonal observations is called phenology. Aldo and his daughter, Nina, would, for example, be watching this time of year for the first sunflower bloom, the white-throated sparrows’ autumn arrival, the staghorn sumacs to turn color, and the flocking behavior of the common nighthawk. See year round examples from the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Phenology Calendar based on Leopold’s work.

The National Phenology Network notes that the importance of phenology pertains not only to farmers and gardeners who need to know when to plant to avoid frosts or when to apply fertilizers or treat for insects, but also that “phenology affects nearly all aspects of the environment, including the abundance, distribution, and diversity of organisms, ecosystem services, food webs, and the global cycles of water and carbon.”

Some scientists are now using the Leopolds’ data as evidence of climate change. They point to several phenological events that have been increasing in earliness by several weeks, such as the spring arrival of the rose-breasted grossbeak and the bloom time of phlox. Scientists wonder how easily (or not) species will adapt to shifting annual temperatures, and how the ecosystem will be impacted if one species, like phlox, blooms early while the insects who rely on those flowers emerge at their usual time.

Find out more from UW-Madison research conducted by Stan Temple.

Or hear from Nina herself in this video produced by Climate Wisconsin.

“Keeping records enhances the pleasure of the search, and the chance of finding order and meaning in these events.” — Aldo Leopold

Did you know…

Scientists believe journaling can evoke mindfulness, boost memory and comprehension, and improve communications skills, among other things. Imagine partnering this beneficial activity with the restorative powers of being outdoors, and you’ve pretty much found the perfect pastime. It also helps forge a connection to nature – a connection that many children are missing in today’s busy, plugged-in world. As one author from the John Hopkins School of Education writes:

“Recent research has shown that American children are woefully ignorant of world geography and other areas of basic knowledge. This lack often extends to local geography as well. Although we look out on a familiar, nearly memorized landscape that we call home many of us would not be able to describe – much less name – the street trees in front of our own houses or apartments.

It is difficult for a person to care deeply about anything that he or she hasn’t experienced or doesn’t know much about. It is unrealistic to expect our children to care about their neighborhoods, much less the earth, if we haven’t taught them to see it and to feel what it means to them. Recording observations and feelings in a field journal can be a powerful way for students to get to know their natural community and the geography of their home environment, so that they can develop that sense of caring commitment.”

I couldn’t agree more. Read more here.

To Do This Month:

Sign up for a nature writing workshop at the UW Milwaukee Field Station, The Clearing, or others listed by the Shaw Guides.

Try these quick nature writing exercises I once learned at a writing clinic: take a pre-cut cardboard picture mat and place it on the ground. Use the picture framed by the mat as inspiration for your writing. Or, sit outdoors and write about your surrounds but do so imagining you’ve just received the best news of your life – now write the same scene imagining you’ve just received the worst news of your life. You can also try some of these tips from nature writer John Muir Laws or inspiration from the Smithsonian.

On a recent staff outing, a colleague mentioned she had started Bullet Journaling. I had to look into it. Combining a to-do list with musings, ideas, and graphic denotations in analog form just might be worth a try.

Things to do at Nature Net sites: The Aldo Leopold Foundation is hosting a Folk Art Workshop series starting September 24th. Catch the UW Arboretum’s Sunday Family Walks featuring fungi and effigy mounds this month or one of several Madison Parks “Bird & Nature Walks” to fuel your nature writing ideas. Check out the Nature Net Calendar of Events for a full listing of September events.

Aldo Leopold Foundation

September Events

Our Favorite Phenology Books

Nature Journal

Sign up to receive these blog posts monthly