The variety of pigment in the soil beneath our feet, the curious shapes of lichen on a tree branch, the interwoven textures of a bird’s nest — for members of the tight-knit community nature journaling group at Shaver’s Creek, there is always something new to discover.
Community nature journaling has become a well-known and consistent staple of our offerings at Shaver’s Creek. It is the perfect embodiment of both halves of the nature center’s longstanding mission: connecting people to nature and people to people. But four years ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, nature journaling was just a seed of an idea.
Alexa Sarussi, school programs director, first introduced the program as a virtual after-school club in the fall of 2020. For the elementary schoolers that were no longer able to connect with Shaver’s Creek through typical outdoor education programs, virtual nature journaling was a trial idea to help them decompress and reconnect with the outdoors. With these first few sessions proving to be fun and impactful, Alexa took the leap and expanded programming to the entire community a few months later.
These monthly, community-based sessions now take place around Centre County, usually at local a farm, museum, nature center, park, or other natural space. They often feature an expert guest speaker to dive into a nature topic or a new art technique (or sometimes both) with the group. Some recent examples include making soil-based watercolors with Zoils & Pigments, observing apples at Way Fruit Farm, and studying pressed plants at the PAC Herbarium.
But getting to this point wasn’t immediate. It took almost a full year to start seeing a consistent community form. Alexa laughs, telling me that it was a really good exercise in patience.
“[The first sessions] were a lot more structured,” she reflects. “I wanted to make sure that people had a good foundation…and also understood what we were trying to do within nature journaling and building community.” She was often left wondering if her efforts were working, but four years later it is clear that her dedication and trust in community paid off tenfold.
Johanna Jackson, one of Alexa’s regular participants, describes the group as a “collaborative, creative, supportive, loving, enthusiastic community.” I joined the group at their January journaling session at Shaver’s Creek, and that’s exactly what I saw.
Warm, friendly chatter filled the room as folks arrived on a frigid Saturday morning. Smiles were abundant. Art supplies spilled out of bags — everything from colored pencils to watercolors to pens and notebooks and even a mini digital photo printer. The room was as colorful and eclectic as the vibrant forest right outside the doors.
The session opened with a question for the group, which Johanna mentioned is one of her favorite parts of each gathering. One by one, everyone introduced themselves and shared their favorite thing about winter. The crunch of ice, the sparkle of the snow, and the fresh air on your face were a few details mentioned, setting gratitude as the tone right from the start.
As we heard from each person, it turns out that what I originally assumed to be a room of close friends was actually a mixture of long-time regulars and first-time journalers. Tables were interspersed with grad students and seniors, families and friends, kids and adults. The intergenerational aspect of nature journaling is something that Alexa is proud of. “To see them connect and interact in really meaningful and authentic ways is really special to me, and I think that’s something we don’t have a lot of spaces for in our society right now.”
Everyone was captured with curiosity and attention as we learned about lichens from local educator Stephen Bucklin, and then folks were off to explore the forest and return with their observations. Not once was the room the stereotypical silent art studio that you might see on TV, but rather alive with the sound of laughter and the smell of hot coffee. Friends leaned across the table to compliment drawings and share supplies.
“It’s meditative” says Leah Davis, a Penn State student who was first introduced to nature journaling through the SEED Semester at Shaver’s Creek. “I’ve met a ton of people in the community and made new friends.”
Fernanda Lodeiro, a regular since the beginning, jokes that she needs a sticker for her water bottle that says “nature journaling is my therapy.” She describes the community as humble. “This is not about drawing or people feeling stressed.” What she describes instead is a practice of observation and appreciation. She tells me how, just today, she followed a trail of woodchips to discover several new woodpecker holes in a tree above her. It’s this practice of noticing that nature journaling fosters. Alexa calls it a “spark of curiosity” that she hopes “continues to travel through other parts” of participants’ lives.
As the program wrapped up, everyone piled their notebooks in the center and we were given time to explore each other’s interpretations. The table became a diverse collage of art and writing, from paintings and sketches to doodles and photographs. Many notebooks featured a mixture of different mediums and styles. We moved around the table like a murmuration of songbirds singing in oohs and ahhs for the wide array of observations displayed.
“Before we show our art to each other, each time, we have a reminder that it’s not competitive,“ Johanna emphasizes. As I listened to the whispered commentary, I couldn’t help but notice that not a single critique was uttered. Much like the journaling itself, appreciation resounds.
I asked about the future of the group and, with the biggest smile on her face, Alexa says her longterm plan is “to just keep meeting forever.” She plans to continue exploring new ideas and possibilities with the group and to keep cultivating the community that they have while also welcoming new participants. “We’ll be somewhere doing something,” she grins.
The impact of community nature journaling at Shaver’s Creek has already paved the way for similar programs across Penn State Outreach, expanding the opportunity for folks across Pennsylvania to connect with the outdoors in such a unique way. Programs like community nature journaling are at the heart of Penn State Outreach’s mission — connecting people, fostering curiosity, and creating lifelong learning experiences beyond the classroom.
It is no wonder that Community Nature Journaling has lasted this long. Alexa says the community is her “absolute joy” and “fills [her] in so many different ways.” After just one session, I understand what she means completely.
True to Fernanda’s comment about the community being a humble one, Alexa brushes off my compliments and tells me, “I just really have to put all of the credit and the value back to all of the participants who have ever come to a nature journaling session…because that’s what’s made it what it is.”
Congratulations to Alexa and the entire nature journaling community for four years of fostering such meaningful and creative experiential learning through art and nature. To learn more and register for upcoming nature journaling programs, visit the Shaver’s Creek Nature Journaling page. New participants are always encouraged, and no prior experience is required.