Nature Journalling for Kids

“I Wonder as I Wander” is best known as a Christmas tune, but it also handily sums up the ethos of nature journalling, an activity that involves sketching observations from the living world – and following up by reflecting on those observations. Certified nature journalling educator Billie Jo Reid has garnered glowing reviews while leading her fellow nature nerds in this newly popular practice; she was recently honoured with the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s WILD Educator of the Year award.

Here’s a day in the life of the Orangeville-based outdoor educator – consider her a modern-day Darwin in quick-dry pants – at an April session that began at the Orangeville Public Library on Mill Street.

8:30 A.M. Reid is up and fixes some breakfast.

9:30 A.M. She preps her supplies, which include samples of her own nature journals to show participants, as well as nature books for all ages. In her art kit she packs a mechanical pencil with purple lead for no-smear sketching, an eraser, a 0.5-micron black pen, a 15 cm ruler, a palette of watercolour paints and a medium tip paintbrush with a refillable water cartridge. And of course, her nifty “brush cuff,” so she always has a damp cloth to wipe her brush with. Not to be forgotten is her own journal, filled with thick paper for watercolours and pens.

Magnifying glasses and homemade bug containers also go into the pile. Finally, she fills her personal water bottles, grabs apples and sunscreen, and tucks a first aid kit into her bag.

10:30 A.M. Reid folds some zines (Your Quick Start Guide to Birding, 7 Ways to Connect with Nature and Your Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling) produced by the Wild Wonder Foundation, based in California, where Reid trained.

11:45 A.M. It’s a small snack for lunch and then she heads to the library.

12:15 P.M. Reid meets library staff member Shannon McGrady. With more than 30 sign-ups, today’s offering is one of their most popular programs. As people file in, they peruse the books, zines and Reid’s handiwork; some can’t resist the temptation of art supplies, immediately putting pencil to paper.

Drop-ins linger, including the father and daughter who stay the whole two hours. “We just came to return our library books!” says the dad, Mariusz Mierzwinski.

1 P.M. Reid delivers a slide presentation introducing the concept of nature journalling. She focuses on the framework: “I notice … I wonder … It reminds me of ….”

She recommends starting by recording metadata – the date, weather and location. “It’s valuable data and breaks up the space so it’s not a blank page anymore.” In nature journalling, participants can use words, pictures and numbers to document what they see around them.

Reid guides the group through two quick blind contour-drawing exercises to shift the focus from drawing to recording. “If you’re drawing a bird, it’s not going to sit there for 10 minutes while you perfect your sketch,” Reid points out. “You might capture some details so that you can identify it later – the drawing is just a tool for your thinking!”

1:30 P.M. Reid leads the way south on Mill Street to Mill Street Park. 

1:45 P.M. Reid uses her teacher voice to ask everyone to find something interesting in nature to observe. “Sometimes you’ll have a feeling, like I want to know more about this.”

Under the watchful eyes of the adults, kids are soon crossing the bridge, perching on the banks of Mill Creek, catching bugs and studying leaves. Reid connects with individual participants to chat about what they’ve found, but she is slow to directly answer their questions lest she short-circuit their discoveries.

“One small group was looking at a burst resin bubble on a tree, and carefully took a sniff,” she says. “I asked them what it reminded them of. They said, ‘Being sick with a cold.’”

The young scientists determine the smell is similar to Vicks VapoRub or Pine-Sol and ask if their mystery substance is evergreen tree sap. “They got there on their own, which is much more satisfactory,” says Reid.

With younger participants, Reid uses praise, enthusiasm and jokes. “One kid was super into plants, so I said, ‘Tell me about your plants. Why are they fuzzy? Why do you think they have hairs? Do they keep the plant warm?’” she says. “They giggled and said, ‘Maybe.’ They were so in the zone, looking, drawing and taking everything in.”

3 P.M. The workshop is ending, but participants want to know how they can take future courses. Reid lists upcoming workshops on her Pine & Ponder website and social media feeds. Posts depict bright and beautiful sketches of insects, plants and birds annotated with observations and queries. Talk about being an influencer!

From older adult participants to the youngest tykes, everyone has caught the nature journalling bug, the sign of a great teacher.

4 P.M. Reid is home. Although a self-professed extrovert, she tends to crash after an event. “When I’m on, I’m on big. Afterward, I’m contentedly tired and happy that it went well.”

Wanting to catch up with the family, she saves putting away her supplies for the next day. Her husband, Dave Orr, works for Credit Valley Conservation and matches her passion for nature. Daughter Raine, 13, plays competitive soccer and is a referee who officiated three games that day. Aspen, 11, also plays competitive soccer and spent the day with friends.

5 P.M. Reid checks on her native pollinator garden, complete with bird bath, house and feeders. This certified wildlife habitat in her home’s front yard also served as the required stewardship program to complete her training as a nature journalling educator.

6 P.M. Chef Dave makes a Mexican feast. On a visit to Florida last year, the girls learned to make guacamole at a Mexican restaurant and they contribute their favourite addition to the meal.

8 P.M. Reid finishes putting together marketing packages for schools, which form the bulk of her programming. She also offers sessions geared to adults, often tapping into the self-care vein.

9:30 P.M. Speaking of self-care, it’s time to call it a day. Her restful wind-down is fuelled by fostering curiosity in the place Reid loves most: the great outdoors.