Autumn Nature Journaling

Autumn Nature Journaling ~ by Claire Walker Leslie
Birds
What birds live near you? Which birds will migrate? What birds stay near you all winter? Observe changes in activity & preparations for winter or migration. What are the birds eating? Draw from life five local birds.
Animals
Look for signs of winter preparations, including butterfly & dragonfly migration, changes in grasshopper calls. Slugs, spiders, bugs & fish head for dark places. Read about & draw the eight most common animals that you think live near you: rabbits, squirrels, foxes, frogs, fish, butterflies, snails, ants & so on. Learn animal tracks by drawing them & noting the size of each print, the distance between tracks, the width between front or back tracks.
Plants
Which plants bloom the latest: asters, chicory, calendula? Which plants have seeds? Find different grass, rush & sedge seed heads & draw them. Draw five different leaves from plants & contrast their shapes. What plants have leaves turning colour? Draw & identify five wildflowers near you. Were they ever used for medicine, in cooking, or to dye wool?
Trees
What trees turn colour? Draw five different leaves with different colours & shapes. Do trees of the same kind all have the same colours? Do different kinds of trees each have their own autumn colour change? Read about Autumn foliage changes. Identify & draw seeds, fruits & nuts of trees & shrubs. Draw the difference between evergreen & deciduous trees. Which trees are native to your areas; which have been imported?
Weather& Sky
Watch for weather changes. Learn the cloud types & what kind of weather each indicates. Draw cloud shapes & patterns,note the colours of the sky, sunsets, rain patterns. Keep a daily weather & temperature chart so you can begin to predict weather in your area.Which phases of the moon do you see & when?
Season & Landscapes
What sounds in nature are changing? Days are drawing noticeably shorter after September 22nd. Draw a little landscape scene showing treeshapes & colour changes. What does Autumn mean to you? What are the fesivals of autumn?
Yourself
How does the autumn weather make you feel? What is your response to the changing autumn colours? Draw events that symbolise the season for you.