"Nature Journaling: A Comprehensive Guide" is an excellent resource for documenting the wonders of the natural world. The book starts with an extensive section, comprising roughly half the book, devoted to the practice of nature journaling. This section gives readers a thorough understanding of the principles, techniques, and benefits of keeping a nature journal. From capturing observations to sketching flora and fauna, the book gives practical advice and examples to encourage the reader to start their own nature journal.

The latter portion of the book introduces a unique feature: a five-year calendar designed specifically for nature journaling. While the calendar has a convenient structure for recording daily observations, it's worth noting that the squares allotted for each day are relatively small, limiting space for detailed drawings. Instead, the emphasis is on short annotations, allowing users to capture key observations and reflections in a concise manner. This format may be particularly good for those interested in metadata collection, as it facilitates the organization and tracking of long-term trends in the natural world.

Overall, "Nature Journaling: A Comprehensive Guide" offers a blend of instructional guidance and practical tools for nature enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or just beginning to explore the wonders of the outdoors, this book gives you the knowledge and resources to make a meaningful record of your experiences with nature.

I just found a copy at the library and am off to search for it in a bookstore on the weekend! I think this book would be amazing for any nature lover, child or adult! I love the the illustrations- just lovely, Brend Heinrich! And kudos to Nathaniel Wheelwright and Heinrich for all the cool information in the book! Just wonderful! So much thought appears to have gone into making this journal; I can't wait to use it! It would make a fine gift.

4 1/2 stars

As I read through this beautifully illustrated book, I was struck by what a wonderful gift this would make for parents of young children who are trying not only to carve out family activities but also to get them involved in pursuits beyond electronic ones.

The authors provide a great deal of guidance on how to become a naturalist, an observer of the natural world around you, what to look for, how to record observations, and information for further research.

As an individual who tries to observe the world around me everyday and has a philosophy of observing and not interacting in the natural world in any way that could do harm, I was not keen on the “experiment” sections, but others will probably find these sections very useful. Who knows they could even nurture a budding biologist!

The end section is a five-year calendar with sections for writing observations so this becomes not only a guide but a keepsake.

I would recommend this for anyone who would like to begin to observe their natural environment and, as I mentioned, it would make a wonderful gift. The dimensions are 8.2 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches so I think it could easily be carried around in a knapsack for easy access.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Naturalist’s Notebook is one of those books that every natural history fan should have. Written by Nathaniel Thoreau Wheelwright, and Bernd Heinrich, both professors of biological sciences, this book is a fantastic addition to your nature observation collection. You will learn much about field methods and studies by reading it. The subtitle is “An observation guide and five-year calendar journal for tracking changes in the natural world around you.”

The text is accompanied by many beautiful illustrations, all drawn by the authors, of real plants, flowers, animals and natural items they have seen over the years. The drawings are incredible!

The book tells some techniques for making you a better observer of nature. The way they teach to record observations by using a five-year calendar is very clever and, I think, a great way to learn patterns of yearly happenings in nature all around you. You also get an idea of some experiments that might be done in your own back yard that will help you gain observation skills while documenting events in nature that could be useful to scientists. The authors indicate that it is possible to use these techniques to observe nature wherever you are, whether in the country or in the city. There are wild species around us and we can learn to see them and interpret their behaviors.

The calendar journal also gives you a way to track changes over time. So, for example, you can record some birds building a nest, then when the eggs are laid, and finally when the baby birds leave the nest. That’s a simple example, but you get the idea.

The authors use examples from some of their own journals and observations to show us how it’s done. For example, the wood frogs and the pond. One day, there were hundreds of tadpoles and, the next day, they were all dead. What happened? Turned out to be Ranavirus. So, in that way, keeping a detailed record of your observations can be very helpful.

If you use the nature journal as described, I think it will give you a more deep understanding of your location, whether that’s your backyard in the city, or a park out in the country. It will give you more of a sense of place, which we tend not to get these days. And, as one of the authors says, maintaining a handwritten journal can help you focus more than typing it can. Because “research suggests that handwriting actually changes brain function, making it more likely that I will remember what I say.”

I loved this book and I recommend it for any naturalist, or anyone who is curious about the natural world and wants to know more. By maintaining such a journal, you will gain insight into the natural world around you and it will open up a whole new horizon! I’d get this book in print form, since it contains the actual five-year calendar! You can use the one in the book and start today!

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A lovely book that I would love to have in print. It gave me ideas of what I want to do myself (if I could sketch) but I could use photographs. I think it would be very useful for a few friends who are hiking guides and could compare year to year what was found previous years. The illustrations in the book are gorgeous!

I like this book and where my library may not purchase it, I will be purchasing it as a gift for several people. This book isn't just about being a naturalist; it's more about how to become a more observant naturalist in your life. I loved the illustrations especially with all of the detail.

Although possibly written for the North American market, this notebook journal and its guidelines would work equally well for those situated elsewhere in the world.
This ‘naturalists notebook, helps focus your attention on the natural world around you, and helps you record interesting and useful information, in a way that can be used to compare back year on year, all the while improving your nature observation skills.
I think a nice element of the journal is that it essentially lets you decide want aspects of the natural world you wish to observe and record, so the journal would be very different from person to person.
I think this book would be great for both those just starting to take an interest in the natural world, and those who are already keen naturalists.
I think this book would make a lovely gift.

This informational book is a must for anyone who loves nature and wants to be more involved with its surroundings. There are step by step guides to help a novice become an engaging and observant naturalist. There are detailed information about how to take notes and important questions to ponder as nature is observed. I especially liked the chapter on getting up close and personal with nature by scrutinizing, touching, listening, smelling, and measuring. I think by doing all this, and not being fearful, you can really appreciate nature to its fullest extend.This would be a great book to incorporate into a school’s science curriculum.

In an article I posted awhile back, I wrote about how glad I was to see that wildlife refuges are offering workshops on Nature Journaling. Why am I talking about this, you ask? Well it's because today I received the ARC for The Naturalist's Notebook. Seriously, I opened the book as soon as I received it. I love my nature books to be filled with facts and statistics. Even more thrilled, was I, when I found this book offered all that with a focus of helping people have a deeper appreciation of nature through journaling.

As a child, I would pick up leaves on my hikes. But seriously. Once I started collecting them, I couldn’t stop. Thoreau said, “the more slowly trees grow at first, the sounder they are at the core, and I think the same is true of human beings.” Perhaps he was referring to the nuturing process of educating a child about planet earth.

As a young adult, I attended International Migratory Bird Day at Magee Marsh. My first time there, I was a novice surrounded by thousands of experienced birders. They assisted me and taught me to learn by observation. They made the experience enjoyable and that day remains in the top 10 of my best wildlife memories. I still frequent wildlife refuges, sit along the trail and listen to the sounds, watch the movements, notice the different sizes and color patterns.

My experiences listed above made this book compulsively readable. The co-authors of 'The Naturalist's Notebook' have a wealth of knowledge and many years of experience. They team up to creatively present a read that is exquisite and useful to anyone that enjoys nature. I highly recommend this book. It is a treasure.

Really intresting hands on book on how to journal about the world around us. It gives such great observation ideas, tips and things to look for and how to document it. Every aspect I could think of was covered! Such lovely drawings too. There is a calendar included but since the book has so much how to information it would be better to have a seperate journal which is also described what kinds you could do. Very interesting and thorough! Great idea and useful for children or adults.

Are you a citizen scientist who wants to take your observations to the next level? Do you have a little one in your life who wants to be more systematic about what they see? Do you love notebooks? This is a title that belongs in every hand and out in the woods, in parks, and in every back yard. Why? Not only do Wheelwright and Heinrich bring their experiences to explaining how you learn to observe nature, they give you a simple notebook to use to begin immediately to record your observations. Each year I say “this year I’ll write about the birds at the feeder”, however I become overwhelmed by what to write and how to write it, so nothing gets recorded beyond a few photos I post to Instagram.

This title provides useful tips whether you’ve been systematically observing nature for 30 years or are new to taking notice beyond when the first robin appears in your yard. In addition to explanations as to how to grow observational skills, you also learn how to take notes and record observations. There are simple experiment ideas that I believe are a great not only for little ones, but also adults.

The title also includes with a simple 5-year journal to record observations. I this this is a wonderful pairing of topic, form, and function. It is a beautifully laid out book, I love the illustrations, and the journal is begging for me to write what I see. I highly recommend The Naturalist’s Notebook for everyone curious about honing this skill!

Excellent! Through and engaging.

Big Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read and give an honest review.

What a beautiful illustrated book. I love being outside and also watching nature from my window especially when on holiday in my farmhouse on France in the School holidays. I found this book a perfect introduction to everyone whatever age to start to notice whats growing around you and to notice the wildlife outside whilst in the countryside, in your garden, parks etc. This book shows you how to record your observations of nature wherever you are and then transfer your findings in this lovely book, where you can look and share your findings. This is a 5 year calendar journal where you can track and look back on what you saw the year before. This will be interesting especially if you involve the rest of your family, a social groups or even use this journal as wildlife study at school if you work in schools etc. This book will become very personal and will be great to look back in years to come. Excellent Book. 5* review

A pretty book, lovely to glance through. The start rambles somewhat and bored me. I was most interested n the drawings which arelovely. As a book it is not for me, though I plan to buy a copy to give to a teenage enthusiast rambler/ photographer. I am sure it will inspire him.

Beautiful and complete guide for those wishing to connect more with nature. The observational tips, charting and graphing techniques and seasonal guide offers many ideas and approaches for learning to appreciate your natural surroundings.

This is a "how to become an observant naturalist" as well as a five-year calendar/journal to record your findings. Charlotte Mason devotees will adore this resource. I can see this being used by the entire family for five years- what a keepsake!

Chapters include observing nature where you are, a naturalist's toolbox and other treasures. The illustrations are beautifully hand drawn and make it easy to imagine your own observations. One thing that I have not been instructed in previously is how to build a table or timeline of your observations. I especially enjoyed the section on field ethics and how to observe without harming creatures or plants. The art supply section was informative and made the whole endeavor seem "doable" Altogether I give it two thumbs up.

I read a DRC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I preordered it so that we can use it ourselves this next year.

I really like how this book is like a dictionary or encyclopedia for any outdoorsman. I also like that it helps you to be more aware of what you use and to make so there are no harmful chemicals or side effects. This book is a must have for anyone who wants to have a healthy lifestyle. A must read.

Wow! This book could be life changing. For children discovering not just how to relate to nature but learning how to observe. Life changing for anyone who wishes to see, to notice, to learn.

The illustrations, the information and guidance, the empty pages waiting to be filled. A treasure. Not so much opening a door but in this case, pages opening up a world of beauty that will enliven any life.

This book is gift and the time spent creating it, obviously a labor of love. It was a privilege to come into contact with this book,

Beautiful. I would say the book is for nerds, if I wasn't one of them. I'd say I'm a green person but since it's the first one of its kind that I've read, I found it informative and action-oriented. The drawings are personable and experience relatable, even though the authors have vast vast knowledge on the matter.

A good portion of this book is a planner for the reader, a calendar to keep track of all the wondrous things they encounter in the natural world. The author also explains the art of mindfulness, of being still, of being observant, of being present in the natural world. The illustrations are exquisite, the kind you can lose yourself in. A must have for nature lovers