Numbers in Nature Journaling

Today we explored different ways to incorporate numbers in our nature journaling.

Tips on how to train ourselves to count and measure more in our observations. From counting petals, estimating groups of birds, or measuring the length, learn ways to visually display your numeric observations, too.

Numbers are a language, just like drawings and words. Let numbers help to tell the story of what we experience in nature!

Practice looking for numbers in your observations

Count: Petals, leaves on a branch, birds in a tree, fruit on a branch.

Measure: the length and width of something, circumference, radius, length of a thorn, or berry.

Estimate: When there are too many of something to count, estimate how many! Watch the video for tips on estimating the number of birds in a flock. Count by tens or 100s.

Time: Time of day when you are journaling. Record the change in time: clouds moving across the sky, snail across the sidewalk. Or longer timescales: draw a flower everyday to document its progression.

Time, speed: how long does it take the swan to swim across the pond, or how many seeds does the bird eat in a minute?

Weather: Temperature, Percent cloud cover, Wind speed and direction

Angle: Measure the angle of growth of a tree, or stem, or angle of the sun or moon

Proportions: What percentage of the flowers are white? or Pink? What percentage of leaves have 3 lobes versus 4 lobes?

Distance: How far are these flowers from the water source, or how far from the shade are these plants?

https://youtu.be/S1nc8wk7CTM