November is the Perfect Time to Start Your Nature Journal
I think late autumn and winter are perfect times to start nature study. Join me and my son today as we go on a nature walk and he gets inspired to sketch a fern.
I quite like doing nature study in November. It can be really nice to have a reason to go outside during the colder and darker months of the year and look at what’s happening around you. Having a reason to go for a nature walk somewhere and really taking a look at how everything is preparing for the winter.
It’s less busy than during summer and spring which makes it easier to spot certain things and not be overwhelmed with the amount of things going on.
Every autumn, my youngest son points out all the different types of mushrooms he finds. He did this from a very young age and he used to be obsessed with mushrooms of all different sizes. He was always delighted when he found a different type of mushroom growing on the trunk of a tree or a little cluster somewhere in a field.
They come in all sizes and colours and they’re a wonderful thing to study and draw.
I also love taking a closer look at some other flowerless plants, like lichen, moss, and ferns. It can be interesting to take the time to learn about them and see in which way they reproduce.
Lichen, for example, is a unique partnership between fungi and algae.
They work together to survive in some of the harshest environments. Lichen absorbs everything from the air, so they’re also indicators of air quality. The cleaner the air, the healthier and more diverse the lichen population is in that area.
Ferns are also fascinating. Unlike flowering plants, ferns reproduce using spores, which are released in tiny packets that look like little dots on the underside of their leaves. Some fern species have been around for over 360 million years. I loved seeing the fern tree forests in New Zealand when we were over there. Walking through them feels like going back in time.
On one of your walks in the woods or in a park, you might see some animals preparing for winter. Squirrels gathering food, birds migrating south. So much more is happening than you’d think, if you take a moment to look closely.
The more you pay attention, the more you’ll see. It’s like discovering tiny worlds all around you—hidden, until you tune in.
Of course, November also means cosy indoor time. In our family, we gather around the fireplace a lot because we only heat the main area of the house like that and have small electrical heaters for the other rooms.
So we usually start spending more time together in the main room, all huddled around the fire. Our family and all our animals except the chickens. They have their own house.
This is our season for snuggling up with a book, crafting, reading, drawing, and just enjoying each other’s company.
But I also love having a few reasons to get outside. Nature study is perfect for that, giving us regular excuses to head out, take a walk, and explore.
I’ll often pack my nature journal, pens, and a field guide, maybe even a thermos of tea, and head out to see what we can find.
It’s lovely to discover something new. To draw it, note it, or talk about it with family or just reflect on it alone. Each outing adds something—a small piece of nature to know, to enjoy, to appreciate.
And if you’re looking for more inspiration, I’ve just finished my Nature Journal in November eBook. It’s full of prompts for nature walks, drawing, and journalling ideas that I hope will inspire your own November adventures. I’d love to hear how you get on with it and any stories or questions you have.
