In my last blog post, FascinatingFasciations, I shared my discovery of an extremely malformed Rush Skeletonplant. While researching this much branched and dainty member of the plant family, Asteraceae (which includes asters, sunflowers and daisies), I became entangled in the winding and seemingly never-ending number of rabbit trails on my journey, until finding myself on a surprising detour. Totally absorbed in the subject of plant malformations, and learning a lot of cool stuff about Rush Skeletonplant along the way …….
The weirdly wild fasciated Rush Skeletonplant
………. I tripped and fell flat on my face (only figuratively!). One of the published research papers appeared to be in error …… regarding the seed (aka fruit) name of this plant. Known to me for decades by the name “Achene,” the researchers had labeled the seed “Cypsela.” And not only did they call seed of Rush Skeletonplant a “Cypsela,” but they used this name when referring to all the seeds of the Aster family!
What! No Way! Who was responsible for this name change? When did this happen? Why oh Why
It was early morning, but already a hot 85F as we hiked the dry, dusty trails of the Albuquerque foothills. With a few exceptions, late June’s wildflower display is all but gone, replaced by an abundance of seeds ready to drop, blow away, or feed hungry chicks. While the “stage” resets for the next Act, the Summer Monsoons, plants in the Sunflower-Daisy-Aster family (Asteraceae) still dot the quickly browning landscape with bright yellows, whites, and shades of purples. One of the most curious plants now making a showing is Rush Skeletonplant (Lygodesmiajuncea).
Perfectly adapted to the desert environment with its chaotic tangle of blue-green mostly leafless stems, is Rush Skeletonplant. Spindly stems, standing up to 18” tall, are topped with 1-2 petite pale lavender-pink flowers. These tiny delicate beauties may not be as showy as your garden variety sunflower, but when closely examined you’ll find typical characteristics of the family, including 4-6 strap shaped ligulate florets each with a protruding hot pink anther tube surrounding a double lobed stigma. Short lived, the florets quickly transform into dandelion-like seed heads.
So there we were, hiking along, wishing for even the gentlest of breezes to keep the biting gnats from crawling into our ears and mouths, when out of the corner of my eye …… Weirdness Extreme! A wildly malformed Rush Skeletonplant.
Last April I was asked to present a workshop about nature journaling for the 2023 Master Naturalists interns. Of course I readily agreed by declaring a hearty, “Yes!” This was quite an honor, but I instantly knew it would be challenging especially since I’ve never formally taught anyone anything about nature journaling. I would also be stepping into some big shoes; the regular instructor, Margy O’Brien (a wonderful journaler and urban sketcher), had to decline teaching this year, and she recommended me. Wow, a double honor!!
Sketching while walking around the Bosque at the Rio Grande Nature Center
So “drawing” upon my own journaling practice, and the treasure trove of information and resources available on the subject, my goal was to design a workshop that would be informative, inspiring and fun.
Sketching while walking around the Bosque at the Rio Grande Nature Center
After weeks of research, writing, and gathering baskets of phenomenon, the workshop day finally arrived!
Sketching while walking around the Bosque at the Rio Grande Nature Center
But first, my warm-up …..
Joining almost 30 interns that gathered early in the morning, we began the day with a 3-hour guided nature walk through the Bosque (Boh-skay) managed by the Rio Grande Nature Center, Albuquerque. The Bosque, the Spanish word for “Woods,” refers to the cottonwood gallery forest and riparian habitat lining the Rio Grande River. During the walk, I took notes and sketched some of the wildlife, landscapitos, and the tour group, all the while watching the excited interns in action. As budding Master Naturalists, they were curious about everything; noticing so much and asking thoughtful questions. It was a great morning that included some surprising discoveries and discussion.
Sketching while walking around the Bosque at the Rio Grande Nature Center
Sketching while walking around the Bosque at the Rio Grande Nature Center
My first nature journaling workshop!
Then it was time for the workshop. The next 90 minutes flew by …. not nearly enough time to share what I wanted to about nature journaling and to have everyone create an actual journal page. But I loved every minute of the experience. My focus was on the 6 key nature journaling prompts, I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds me of; Words, Pictures, Numbers. After warming up with several exercises, such as blind contour, continuous line and gesture sketching leaves and birds, each intern began creating their own journal page using their chosen phenomenon …… a mystery fruit. Although the time allocated for the workshop was short, everyone actively participated and seemed to get value from the presentation. Maybe, just maybe, one or all of the interns will become practicing nature journalers? That would be awesome!
Nature Journaling Workshop Handouts
Workshop Take-aways
In addition to my 6-page handout which included tips on how to get started nature journaling, what to include in a nature journal kit, a list of books and online references (including videos, podcasts, and blogs), and the handy little pocket-sized “Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling” Zine (thanks Wild Wonder!), I left them with these inspiring thoughts:
“Anyone can nature journal.” ……… “Nature journaling is not about learning to draw; it’s about drawing to learn.” ……. “You don’t have to be an artist to nature journal.” ……. “It’s not about pretty pictures.” ……. “There’s no wrong way to nature journal.” ……. “Zoom in …… Zoom out.” ……. “Have fun!”
Nature Journaling Workshop Handouts
Would I do this again? Absolutely!
I’d love to know if you are a nature journaler too, or would like to learn more about nature journaling and how to begin!
April may have been amazing, but it was nothing compared to the explosion of life during May. My 2-page spread doesn’t even come close to representing all that we encountered throughout the month. And the 15 species I chose as “picks” aren’t even a third of those making an appearance …… enter stage left and right!
Noticeably missing was the black chinned hummingbird. They arrived mid-May, and began defending breeding territories. One of these years, I hope to find one of their miniature nests to see what building materials the hummers use. Until then, their aerial performance is always breathtaking!
Close-up
Then there was the morning Luna nearly stepped right in the middle of a really upset, hissing and striking prairie rattlesnake, practically right out our front door! It was a scary few moments until we determined Luna did not get bit! Whew. Roy expertly wrangled up the guy, herding him into a 5-gallon bucket, and relocated him a safe distance away. (I may cheat and add him to my June “Littles,” if you don’t mind, along with the first rattlesnake encounter of the season! Gotta love the desert.)
Another close-up
Included in the long list of flowering plants, was prickly pear cactus. Several species began opening their buds to reveal 20-30 delicate waxy yellow to apricot colored petals per bloom. It didn’t take long for the pollinators to find these delicacies!
And Another close up
Blooming in the foothills (5,000’ up to 7300’ elevation), there was milkwort, fleabane, scarlet globemallow, banana yucca, sundrops, milkweed, paintbrush, golden weed, common hoptree, puccoon, several species of pink-flowered hedgehog cactus, blazingstars, bee blossom, tahoka daisy, NM thistle, ……. etc. I could go on and on! And even at nearly 9,000’ elevation, rock jasmine, valerian, creeping mahonia, prairie bluebells, pasque flower and dwarf lousewort were all in bloom.
All in all, a bountiful full-on Spring bloom!
A big shout-out to “Made by Fay” for the inspiring “Littles” idea! Stay tuned for the next installment of “Littles.”
In the blink of an eye …… April! The dusty browns of late winter gave way to landscapes full of color! Movement was everywhere ….. Flower buds began opening as emerging insects smacked their lips in anticipation. Birds, flocking to their breeding grounds, had hungry eyes on the growing bug population. Hibernating reptiles began to stir as the earth warmed; lizards stretching sleepy legs in their underground burrows, that will help them flee slithering snakes; snakes wriggling and coiling and hissing, perhaps thinking about a breakfast of juicy lizard or a baby bird. Mule deer moved down from the surrounding hills to nibble fresh plant growth. Coyotes hunted desert cottontails as they snacked on prickly pear pads.
April was amazing! There was so much happening, that it was all I could do to take in so many changes. It was such a challenge just to slow hike the hills every day, observing and taking photos, that keeping up with my “Littles” pages seemed impossible!
Close up
So here it is mid-June, and I’ve finally put the finishing touches on my April “Littles.” While creating my tiny framed discoveries, I questioned my desire and/or the need to continue with this project. But then I quickly dismissed those thoughts. After seeing these pages finished, I realized it was not only great fun, but an important reminder of what happens in nature during April.
Another close up
Again, many thanks to “Made by Fay” for the inspiring “Littles” idea!
David Lukas, naturalist, presented an amazing 2 hour video workshop on the largest family of flowering plants, the family Asteraceae1, commonly called Sunflowers, Daisies, and Asters. Not only are they the largest family, they are also the most successful …. from a botanical and evolutionary perspective. That was the hook! I needed to know more!
Disclaimer! The following post is lengthy and covers many botanical things about sunflower “flowers” I wished to remember. If you decide to take this deep dive with me, prepare to be amazed. And if you make it all the way to the end, congratulations! But beware ….. you’ll develop an irresistible urge to stop and investigate every roadside sunflower on your next trip to town! Are you ready ……?
Day 6: Movement …. Altho not an official “sense,” movement plays a key part in how we relate to the world around us. And describing movement in a nature journal should become habit. Using pictures is one way …. Illustrating the way a rabbit hops may be easy, but actually showing motion in a drawing is definitely more challenging. I noticed hundreds of cicadas working their way up tree trunks and branches the other day. They “walked” slowly and purposefully, but when they stopped their wings began vibrating so fast they became a blur! Maybe a way to depict this blur in a sketch would be with fast and loose watercolor, without any wing detail? ……. Other ways to describe movement is with words, diagrams and arrows. There’s no wrong way to describe motion; imagination may uncover more creative options.
My sketch notes from the materials discussed during the session.
We had a fun session with Lucia, who used worms in a slow, meditative approach to capturing movement. And Kim led a discussion involving 8 ideas about how to include movement in our nature journals,
Then the importance of quickly capturing movement was covered in Bethan’s mini workshop. Practice, practice and more practice is key, and one way to effectively illustrate flying, running, leaping animals and insects is through gesture sketching.
15 second “action line” gesture sketches of moving animals and plants
Day 7: Heart. The last day of INJW 2023 wrapped up with an interesting and thoughtful session about connecting with nature and describing feelings in the nature journal. Using illustrations and words, a love of nature …… the awe, surprise, affection and curiosity of the world we live in …… can be expressed within the pages of a journal. Including an original or a favorite poem to emphasize a special connection with nature is a great way to express feelings. Making marks on a journal page with a feather or flower petal is also a nice way to show love and appreciation for the natural world.
A wonderful week of live and interactive talks and workshops made INJW 2023 truly special!
Thanks once again for taking a look! As always, I hope my pages spark in you a sense of curiosity and wonder, and that you would like to learn more. And even though the official week has come to a close, you can access all of the videos, interviews and prompts for the 2023 sessions (as well as past year’s sessions) indefinitely and without cost, by visiting the INJW home page at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/.
Day 5: Flavour …. The sense of taste. A fascinating session with our host, Bethan Burton. Just exactly do you capture the flavours of anything in a nature journal? For about an hour we explored ways to illustrate, diagram and describe in words tastes familiar to foreign. And the curious and intimate relationship between taste and smell, and how our other senses (hearing, sight and touch) play a big part in how we anticipate and know the flavours of the world we live in. It was a fun sketch noting session, one which brought me back to my dilemma with taste and smell.
My sketch notes from the materials discussed during the session.
Within my following 2 pages, I decided to document in some detail my experiences with loss of smell and taste. Over the past 10+ months, I’ve read nearly everything medical related about sudden loss of these senses. But within my pages, I drew heavily upon a new-to-me article published by Harvard, that was a great summary of current thinking involving probable causes, possible remedies, and good and bad news. There was also a lot of discussion about how the loss of these senses can influence mood and emotions. Not being able to experience special tastes and smells, described by poet and author Diana Ackerman as “the heady succulence of life itself,” can be quite demoralizing. Because our 5 senses are bridges connecting us to our world, losing 2 of the 5 bridges equals a 40% loss in sensory input! That’s something to think about!
Thanks once again for taking a look! As always, I hope my pages spark in you a sense of curiosity and wonder, and that you would like to learn more. A good place to start is by visiting the INJW home page at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/.
#naturejournalingweek
It’s still not too late to get involved in International Nature Journal Week 2023, and there’s no cost for participants, so check it out! All workshops and resources, the schedule and links to videos are available at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/
Wow! On Day 4: Song, we were treated to an incredibly exciting session “Understanding Bird Song” by naturalist David Lukas. David is an outstanding educator, and I found myself being totally blown away by his presentation. So much information that it was worth watching the video 3 times, so I could sketch note every fascinating detail!
The topics ranged from why birds sing, how they sing, and signature songs. We learned about song shifts, repertoires, is it a call or a song, understanding alarm calls, song mimics, song sharing and how birds tutor young birds in neighborhood songs.
Information overload, but that’s how I like it! I hope you enjoy my pages crammed with diagrams, descriptions and definitions. I ended my last page with a couple of illustrations of a mourning dove and greater roadrunner, comparing each of their similar-but-not-quite-the-same calls. Curious!
My sketch notes from the materials discussed during David Lukas’ session.
Thanks once again for taking a look! As always, I hope my pages spark in you a sense of curiosity and wonder, and that you would like to learn more. A good place to start is by visiting the INJW home page at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/.
#naturejournalingweek
It’s still not too late to get involved in International Nature Journal Week 2023, and there’s no cost for participants, so check it out! All workshops and resources, the schedule and links to videos are available at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/
Still hooked on this year’s International Nature Journal (INJW) theme, a “Sensory Safari.” During Day 3: Aroma, I debated about whether or not to take a very personal approach, and finally decided to reveal my almost year-long challenge involving my sense of smell. (This is also tied closely to my dilemma with sense of taste, but maybe I’ll explore more ways to handle that in my Day 5: Flavor post).
I certainly learned a lot and had fun with Aromas and their ties to visual cues and memories. I hope you enjoy my story and the pages below.
Oh, and its not too late to get involved and there’s no cost for participants, so check it out! All workshops and resources, the schedule and links to videos are available at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/
Day 3: Sense of Taste — Introductory Session on Aroma A very good introductory session with Corina Brdar. She explored with us how the sense of smell …. Aromas ….. can be incorporated in a nature journal. Also several good quotes came from this session …..
“Senses are the bridges to the world we live in.” …. and oh yeah ….. this gem: “Imagine being in nature and there’s no smell!”
It was the last quote that pushed me to explore my sensory journey, or lack thereof.
My sketch notes from the materials discussed during the introductory session. Love the connections with Nature Journaling cues!
Corina mentioned there’s not a lot known about the inner workings of our sense of smell. Researchers are only beginning to better understand this sense and its intimate connection with the sense of taste. Also, there’s been minimal thought put into how to describe a sense of smell on paper. Information was a bit challenging to find, but I stumbled across a fun and informative article that directly relates to “smell” descriptions using adjectives, nouns, verbs and metaphors …… thanks WikiHow!
After I shared my story on the below, I then sketch noted the WikiHow article, How to Describe a Smell, on the next page (link to the article is at the end of my post).
A brief account of my world without aromas!Sketch notes from How to Describe a Smell, and how I’ve adapted!
Thanks once again for taking a look! As always, I hope my pages spark in you a sense of curiosity and wonder, and that you would like to learn more. A good place to start is by visiting the INJW home page at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/.
a curious nature 