Nature Notes: Willow by the River

Nature Notes: A desert landscape

Nature Notes: Sunrise over Mt. Jumbo

Nature Notes: Sounds of a Winter Morning Walk

Nature Notes: Winter Clouds

Nature Notes: Deer Tracks on a Snowy Slope

Nature Notes: A Blustery Monday

Nature Notes: Tracking in the Seeley Lake Region

Oh, Animal Tracks

Left in the Snow

You provide a Story 

that I so long to know.

But with time and patience

I can follow each track

leading me to find you

at the back of the pack.

Friday Field Notes: Snow covered Lichen in Powell Campground, Idaho

Friday Field Notes: Jacob's Island, Missoula, MT

Friday Field Notes: Home for the Holidays

During my visit back east I was reminded of how wonderful my parents' backyard is for observing birds and small critters. As I sat on my parents' back porch I was ecstatic to see a number of Black-capped Chickadees, one of my favorite birds in Montana, as they quickly swooped down from the shrubs and large oak tree towards the bird feeder that my parents had positioned in the backyard when I was just a child. Ever since its placement in our backyard, the bird feeder has always attracted Eastern gray squirrels. It still puts a smile on my face to watch the squirrels scurry about, as they gather the birds' littered seeds off of the ground.

Friday Field Notes: An Evening look at Yarrow

Friday Field Notes: Greenough Park at Dusk

December 9, 2013

During a winter walk in the snow with Greg and my dog Oatis we decided to stop at our favorite swimming spot on the Rattlesnake Creek. 

Friday Field Notes: Oh, I Have Been Inspired!

I love nature journaling, but, frankly, it has been a number of months since I have opened my journal. A few weeks ago I noticed that MNHC was offering a weekend drawing workshop with the talented Nancy Seiler. I thought to myself, what better way to get back into nature journaling than to take a class where I must make keen observations of natural objects and draw them for 8 hours a day? Although drawing for two days straight was difficult, as I was certainly out of practice, it was well worth it. I am thankful to Nancy and all those who participated in the class for inspiring me to not only practice my nature journaling skills, but to embrace the challenge. I have set a goal for myself to keep a weekly nature journal. My hope is that by carving out time in my busy schedule to work on my journal that I will not only improve my drawing and writing skills, but that I may also find stillness in my life as I connect with nature. 

Entry 1: November 20th, 2013

Friday Field Notes: A Little Face on a Quaking Aspen Leaf

Last Friday, September 6th, I enjoyed a leisurely hike up to the Blodgett Canyon Overlook in the Bitterroot National Forest. The warm sun was muffled by a scattering of grayish clouds, allowing the temperature to stay below 85 degrees. It was a perfect day for a short adventure.

On the descent of the hike, I stopped next to a four-foot-high quaking aspen tree alongside the trail. I reached for a leaf, and placed it in my hand. My fingers followed the contours of its outline, amazed at its symmetry. I stepped back to look at the whole tree, when my fiancé said, "Hey, look at this!" Between his fingers he held another aspen leaf. I glanced at the leaf, but didn't notice anything, and looked back at him questioningly. He said, "Look closer." As I stared at the leaf, I was taken aback by the caterpillar that lay on the leaf before me. Two yellow ovals on the top of its head created the appearance of eyes, and a yellow and brown line across its thorax unveiled a smirk (depending on your perspective). Its green body with subtle blue dots blended in perfectly with the leaf.

I learned that this caterpillar was a Western Tiger Swallowtail, or Papilio rutulus, and that it is common to western North America. They are often seen in woodlands, riparian areas, and urban settings. These caterpillars feed on the leaves of hardwoods, such as poplar, willow, alder, maple, cottonwood, and quaking aspen. The Western Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar, or larva, will molt about five times before pupating (that is, evolving from a caterpillar to an adult insect--in this case, a butterfly). For butterflies, the pupal stage is called chrysalis. When the caterpillar has reached its full size, it produces silk to adhere itself to a leaf or limb of a tree. At this point in the process, the caterpillar will shed its skin one last time, leaving a hard skin, called a chrysalis. The caterpillar will stay in this stage until it is ready to turn into a butterfly.

In the summer, a butterfly can emerge within fifteen days of pupating, but if it pupates in the fall, it must wait until springtime, when the temperature begins to rise. The beautiful butterfly that emerges from the chrysalis has yellow on its forewings, a thick black border along the wings' outside edge, and a hint of orange and blue on its tail. Its wingspan is ~8.5 centimeters. Females will lay up to 100 eggs onto the protective underside of leaves, and within four days or so, they will hatch, introducing a new group of smirking caterpillars into the natural world.

Friday Field Notes: Sketching Changes in Nature

For me, the start of school marks change. In my own body, I notice a change in the pace at which I move. It is as though the lethargy induced by summer's heat slowly starts to leave my body, revealing a new zest and passion for exploring the outdoors. I know that I transform in this manner, because I listen to my body and I make note of the changes that I feel.

Similarly, if you take the time, you can note change in the natural world. As the seasons starts to change, so do the animals, birds, insects, plants, and natural landscapes. Change can be bold and impossible to miss, or it might be subtle and easily overlooked. In order to understand and learn from these changes, it is helpful to stop, observe, and document your observations about the way the natural world evolves. We can teach ourselves and each other about change, by tapping into our sense of sight, smell, hearing, and touch. The change of a season is a perfect time to start observing, sketching, and learning to embrace change.

How do you sketch changes?

Well, first start by creating or buying a nature journal. It does not have to be fancy, but it should include blank sheets of paper and be bound. Dedicate at least one page of your journal to each individual observation. Start by choosing a plant, animal, insect, bird, or landscape to sketch. If you choose a landscape, remember that it is best to start small. Date your entry, including the time, location, and weather. In your sketch, concentrate on details. You can add depth to your observation by including additional drawings, colors, and words.

 

Revisit the object or place on a daily or weekly basis. Make a new sketch on the same page as your first one. Note any changes in the new sketch in comparison to your last sketch. Remember to use all of your senses! Does is smell differently? Have the colors changed? Do you hear different sounds? Continue this process as long as possible. Be inquisitive and explore each curiosity to better understand the evolution of the object or place over time. Who knows, maybe you'll become fascinated with the changes, and you will have years and years of observations about one object or landscape. In the end, all of your observations, drawn and written, will help you and others to understand the complexities of change within our natural world. Go ahead, and start sketching changes in nature!


Learn how to make your own nature journal!