Keeping a Nature Journal, 3rd Edition: Hone Your Observation & Drawing Skills

Keeping a Nature Journal (3rd Edition) is a thoughtful guide to slowing down, observing closely, and building a deeper relationship with the natural world through drawing and reflection.

Author and naturalist Clare Walker Leslie is widely known for her welcoming, accessible approach to nature journaling—one that emphasizes seeing and noticing rather than artistic perfection. This book shows that keeping a nature journal does not require prior drawing experience, scientific knowledge, or special materials—only curiosity and attention.

First published in 2000 and endorsed by E.O. Wilson and Jane Goodall, this book helped shape the modern nature journaling movement. The third edition expands on Leslie’s original work with additional step-by-step drawing techniques, a new selection of pages from her own 40 years of journaling, and a broader range of prompts for observing plants, animals, weather, and place—anywhere you are.

Ideal for beginners, educators, artists, gardeners, and anyone seeking a more mindful way to engage with nature, this book encourages curiosity, reflection, and connection through simple, intentional practice.