Nature journaling workshops on

Sandra Morris sketching a North Island Robin at Bushy Park.
PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Illustrator and nature artist Sandra Morris is taking registrations for two one-day Nature Journal workshops — one for children and one for adults — both to be held at Bushy Park in January.
The workshops have the approval of the Bushy Park Trust.

"I'm offering a three-hour workshop for children and a five hour workshop for adults.
"It's all about reconnecting people with nature, really, and also discovering the joys of Bushy Park. A lot of people really don't understand what's out there. Until I started nature journaling, I used to just walk and not really look. When you get children, especially, observing, they start to see connections, which are important for them to see and understand."

Sandra says if people really understand what we have, we can save it.
"You don't have to be a great artist to be a nature journaler: it's about responding to what you're seeing and feeling, what you're smelling and hearing, putting it on paper in a visual way and with words. I'll start with sensory awareness exercises for both children and adults and then lead them on into ways of generating words.
"Also reflecting what you're seeing or feeling in your writing and your use of creative fonts.
"That's kind of what nature journaling is. The benefits for children, particularly, are scientific and aesthetic observation, creative and technical writing, layout and presentation of ideas and observations, perception and analysis, questioning and inventiveness, reflection in silence, meditation, focus, personal healing, greater appreciation of nature in place, finding your own voice, self confidence and the ability to express yourself. It's a lot of things, and there's some interesting science been done on being in nature.
"So much good comes out of connecting with nature. If you don't understand it or appreciate it, you're not going to save it."

Numbers for the workshops are limited but if registrations exceed the limit a second workshop can be held.
Sandra will have volunteer help so children will be well looked after, leaving parents free to explore Bushy Park or avail themselves of the facilities. A percentage of the proceeds from the workshops will go to Bushy Park.

Children's Nature Journal workshop
Tuesday, January 14, 10am-1pm
$10 per child
Adults Nature Journal workshop
Sunday, January 19, 10am-3pm
$50 per adult
For more info and to register contact Sandra at
sandra.morris@illustration.co.nz