Location: Ellen Knight Classroom at Montana Natural History Center
Dates: Mondays, April 3 – May 8
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Deepen your connection to nature and build confidence as an artist and writer through the practice of nature journaling.

"I have been continuing what I learned in our MNHC class – trying out the different ideas you shared with us. I am seeing and experiencing much more now than I ever have before! I feel like something is missing in my life if I don’t journal at least a few minutes each day." – Linda, past Introduction to Nature Journaling participant

Keeping a nature journal encourages you to slow down and turn your attention to the plants and animals you often walk right past. In this six-part course, MNHC Teaching Naturalists Jenah Mead and Ser Anderson will show you how to savor your time in nature and how to creatively capture your experiences in a journal.

This course is for anyone interested in the outdoors and creative expression, regardless of their experience level in natural history or art.

Through guided exercises, including beginner-level lessons in drawing and painting, you will learn about your local flora and fauna, build skills in art and writing, relieve anxiety through reflection and mindfulness, and fall more in love with the natural world.

Materials:
Course fee includes our Fieldkit Favorites, featuring some of Jenah’s favorite nature journaling tools:

Waterbrush
Micron pen
Prismacolor col-erase pencil in blue
Sakura gel pen in white
Prismacolor pencil in white
Prismacolor pencil in black
Toned paper
Illustrated insert for your nature journal, chock full of inspiring nature journaling prompts
Watercolor paper

Additional Required Materials:

A blank, unlined journal – You can transform any pad of paper into a nature journal, just make sure it is suited to your favorite medium and a size you can easily carry with you into the field. If you would like to use watercolors in your journal, we strongly suggest choosing a journal that has watercolor paper. Jenah’s favorite is a Moleskine Watercolor Album, size 5″ x 8.25″. If you live in Missoula, you can find it at Shakespeare and Co. and Noteworthy. You can also find it online here.
Writing and drawing materials – Naturalists record their observations using a blend of writing and art. A regular pencil and a ballpoint pen are really all you need, but we encourage you to incorporate your favorite writing and drawing supplies into this practice. Jenah uses artist grade pencils (a 2H and a 2B) and micron pens (005 and 01). Many naturalists also enjoy using colored pencils in their journals.
Watercolor materials – Color will bring your journal entries to life. With this in mind, one of our classes will be a beginner’s lesson in watercolor painting. For this class, you will need watercolor paints and a few pieces of watercolor paper if your journal doesn’t contain any. If you’re local to Missoula, you can find quality art supplies at Frame of Mind on Brooks St. Winsor and Newton makes a great beginners watercolor set that is perfectly sized for carrying with you into the field. You can find it online here.

Jenah Mead is an artist and MNHC Teaching Naturalist. She holds a B.S in wildlife biology and a M.S in environmental studies with a focus on environmental education. She is an experienced educator and has taught science and nature education for over a decade. In her artistic work, she blends the study of nature and art to create detailed graphite illustrations of local flora and fauna. Her illustrations have appeared in galleries, magazines, scientific papers, and museum exhibits.

Ser Anderson is a writer, photographer, and MNHC Teaching Naturalist. They honed their naturalist skills while earning a B.A. in Environmental Studies. They have continued to develop and share their naturalist skills in a variety of seasonal positions around Montana. Their writing combines natural observation and personal reflection. Their work has been published in Camas, Whitefish Review, and Montana Naturalist.

Cost: $105 MNHC members, $125 non-members. Save $10 on any of our memberships when you purchase one while registering for this course! You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out.

Registration is required.

What’s the refund policy?
The course fee (minus a 25% administrative fee) is refundable if a cancellation is made up to 7 days before the event. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline. See our full refund/cancellation policy here.

COVID Precautions:

small class limited to 12 students
masks may be required or recommended indoors depending on CDC guidelines and Missoula numbers
vaccinated MNHC staff and instructors