A LOCAL Journaling PATCH
Nature is everywhere, but how many of us dismiss our local playing field, park, or even our garden as ‘not special enough’? I know that I could easily have dismissed my own patch as dirty, noisy, and not worth a second look.
Thankfully, my general nosiness won out! I quickly realised I had an ideal spot to record the natural world. I found, too, that keeping my nature journal encouraged me to find out more about my home patch; that helped me form a stronger connection with the landscape. Don’t feel you have to travel miles to find your journaling space. Any safe, green area, a garden or a local park you can get to easily is fine. Let nature speak to you. All that matters is that the area attracts and interests you!
I have three, local regular patches, as well as my garden. One is a beautiful Georgian estate, one is a local nature reserve ( alongside a very busy motorway) but my regular patch is an ex landfill site! It’s teeming with life, and a great example that you don’t need a stunning rural location to engage fully with nature, because - it's about how you choose to see the world. After all, you might live in the centre of a national park, but be too busy to notice the mountains any more!
It’s caring about and connecting with your location that matters. Getting to know your place makes it special and remarkable to you; through your journal that becomes reflected back to other people.
So - instead of dreaming of a trek through the rainforest, why not look at your local area with new eyes. You may be surprised what you find!
Journaling in the Garden
Your garden can be the perfect nature journaling patch. My own garden is a special place to me. It’s evolved over a decade or more from a tiny field full of thistles, nettles and bramble to being full of native plants, shrubs and trees which provide homes and food for a variety of creatures. It’s a bit messy - but it is full of wildlife!
Every outdoor space, from the largest garden to a window box, can help nature. Making a garden wildlife friendly doesn’t mean it becomes a jungle. You can still have a beautiful plot. You don't need to start from scratch, either, just making some small changes in your existing garden can make a big difference to the creatures who visit.
A wildlife friendly garden is a wonderful resource if you have little ones in the family. It's a safe and special place for them to learn about nature, and I believe you can never start them too young! Most children will love helping to make homes and provide food for their garden visitors. It's a great way for them to learn about plants and animals, find out how things grow, and discover the changing seasons, because it's all happening in their garden. That sense of ownership and connection is important for everyone involved. Grown ups have fun too!
You're encouraged to learn more about things, because - they're yours. That sense of belonging is a great feeling!
There's such excitement seeing the first green shoots burst through the earth, finding you have a hedgehog visiting for the first time - or maybe watching a family of blue tits taking their first fluffy flutters in the outside world. You'll be surprised, and quite possibly amazed, by what goes on, once you start looking more closely.
Making your garden more wildlife friendly is easy; and both we, and nature benefit!
