This month on It's Time for Science, it's time to talk about summer science at home and nature journaling! Host Tom Racine talks with John Muir Laws, a principal innovator in the global nature journaling movement, and outside educator Erica Beck Spencer.
John Muir Laws is an award-winning naturalist, artist, scientist, educator, and the author and illustrator of several books including The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds, The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada. He is also the co-author of How to Teach Nature Journaling. He is co-founder and president of the
Wild Wonder Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging nature connection and conservation through attention, curiosity, art, science, and community.
Tom talks with John Muir Laws about what exactly nature journaling is, why you don't need to be an artist to nature journal, and what nature journaling offers all of us and why it is important.
Erica Beck Spencer is a curriculum specialist with the Full Option Science System Project (FOSS) and spearheaded the Taking FOSS Outdoors initiative. In addition to her development work, she has collaborated with over 50 districts and tens of thousands of educators on implementing the FOSS program. She has worked with thousands of formal and nonformal teachers about teaching outside. She has served on the board of directors for the Maine Environmental Education Association, Rippleffect, and will be stepping up as the board president for the Maine Math and Science Alliance. Prior to working for FOSS she taught in urban schools in Cambridge, Boston, and Portland, Maine.
Tom and Erica discuss Tom's interview with John Muir Laws, how nature journaling might be used with students over the summer, nature journaling's value for students and teachers, and Erica's experiences with nature journaling as an educator and personally.
Erica also offers some resources to help folks get started and keep going with nature journaling:
•Quick start guide to Nature Journaling: Digital Download:
• Wild Wonder Resources:
• The Nature Journal Connection video series:
• Taking FOSS Outdoors chapter and other resources:
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