Nebraskaland

NEBRASKAland March 2018

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

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28 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2018 Discovering the Outd rs Through Nature Journaling By Renae Blum F or Holly Green, her peace of mind during finals in college could reliably be found in one place: between the pages of a black composition notebook. The formula was pretty straight- forward: head to one of the bridges at Fort Kearny State Recreation Area, notebook in hand, and just observe: the morning fog over the water, chunks of ice floating down the river, brown bats silhouetted against the moon, the croaking of the bullfrog she dubbed "Romeo" for his incessant singing. Then she would write. "I'm not a person who writes down personal thoughts, but I like to capture a moment outside," she commented. She still does – during the summer, nearly every day. She's not alone. People across the world, and throughout human history, have used nature journaling as a way to reconnect with nature, explore the outdoors more deeply and to make more lasting memories. The calm it often brings is a plus, too. Nature journaling is a deeply personal endeavor, and looks slightly different for each person. But a helpful working definition can be found in the book Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth: "Simply put, nature journaling is the regular recording of observations, perceptions and feelings about the natural world around you. … Whereas a diary or personal journal records your feelings toward yourself and others, a nature journal primarily records your responses to and reflections about the world of nature around you." It sounds simple, but people have built careers out of writing about the process and teaching others how it works. One such person is environmental educator John Muir Laws, whose lectures and writings have inspired naturalists across the United States to start teaching the practice themselves. "I started thinking about, what is the best way to help someone fall in love with nature? Well, in order to do that you first need to come up with a good working definition of love," he said. "And that can be kind of elusive. But I think I've got a definition that really, really works." For Laws, love is sustained compassionate attention – the kind that asks you to invest time, energy and effort in deeply knowing something or someone. "It takes work, it takes effort, and it fundamentally changes the relationship between the person who's paying attention and the other. I think this is one reason why people fall in love with their therapists – because someone's actually paying attention and listening to them. So if you want to strengthen your relationships at home? Try actively paying attention," he The journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark can be considered nature journaling. Pictured is a coho salmon. Naturalist Alison Bleich keeps track of the cycle of the seasons in her nature journal. Here, she discovers a flower she journaled about at the same time the previous year. LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNALS PHOTO BY RENAE BLUM

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