#nature notebook

landscape in a little notebook!!

We dream of fishing for stars in the oceanbut, in the cold light of day,there are more micro-plastics in the seathan stars in the milky way. Whole constellations and shoals of fishare caught in the rainbow sprayof detritus uncoiling like whales’ intestinesand landing on every beach and bay. Human’s packaging and discarded netsare evils against which we inveigh;we must claim back our waters while…

A key tool that naturalists use is a notebook to record their observations. This can be anything from what birds they saw on a walk, to drawing an insect they aren’t familiar with, to noting topics that they want to investigate online later. There aren’t any rules for what a good nature notebook should be, so why not make one yourself, with materials you already have in your house!

What You’ll Need

10 sheets of 8.5 in. x 11 in. lined notebook paper

Construction paper

Needle

Strong thread

Duct Tape

Scissors

Directions

Fold your papers in half so the top edge meets the bottom edge (“hamburger” style), and cut them in half along this line. Fold and cut the construction paper in the same way. You should have two sets of lined paper and two pieces of construction paper.

Cut off the left edge of the paper, including the binder holes.

Fold the set of lined paper in half so that the lines go from left to right. Fold the construction paper the same direction. Trim construction paper so that it is the same size as the lined paper.

Place the set of lined paper inside the construction paper cover. Use the needle to poke holes along the fold from the inside through to the outside cover (4-6 holes an inch apart will do).

Cut about 4 ft. of thread and thread the needle. Push the threaded needle through one of the holes you already made, starting at the bottom. 

Sew back and forth through the rest of the holes you poked. When you reach the top, sew back down through the existing holes. When you reach the bottom, knot off your thread and cut off the excess string. Your knot doesn’t have to be perfect, it’ll be covered up next.

Cut a piece of duct tape the height of the notebook and adhere it to the construction paper along the spine.

Now for the fun part- decorate it! You can use markers stickers, stamps, or anything else you have. Make it your own!

Upcycle and Share!

Nature Notebooks the Easy Way

Never be winning doors when you can rightly be without.  Charlotte Mason

I have always loved Charlotte Mason’s idea of keeping nature notebooks, and tried different ways of doing it with my boys. We were never able to make a habit of keeping nature notebooks, and looking back, I realize it’s because we were trying to do it “right.” Doing it “right” killed more activities than I can count — we…

Modern Nature Notebooks (by Martha Stewart)

It's the 21st-century equivalent of a pressed-flower book: Instead of picking and pressing wildflowers, which depletes the local flora and is illegal in some places, take a snapshot with your smartphone. The Poladroid software will give photos a vintage feel. Then print and glue them in a notebook alongside your children's sketches of nature.