What do you think?
Rate this book
The Naturalist's Notebook: An Observation Guide and 5-Year Calendar-Journal for Tracking Changes in the Natural World around You
Become a more attentive observer and deepen your appreciation for the natural world. The unique five-year calendar format of The Naturalist’s Notebook helps you create a long-term record and point of comparison for memorable events, such as the first songbird you hear in spring, your first monarch butterfly sighting of summer, or the appearance of the northern lights. Biologist Nathaniel T. Wheelwright and best-selling author Bernd Heinrich teach nature lovers of all ages what to look for outdoors no matter where you live, using Heinrich’s classic illustrations as inspiration. As you jot down one observation a day, year after year, your collected field notes will serve as a valuable record of your piece of the planet. This deluxe book, with a three-piece case, gilt edges, a burgundy ribbon bookmark, and a belly band with gold foil stamping, is a perfect gift for all nature lovers.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published October 17, 2017
26 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 25, 2018
I've been using this book for seven months now to record daily nature observations. I could have used any old notebook, but then I probably wouldn't have kept it up.
The book stars with a 95-page introduction that discusses ways to keep a nature diary. This is written jointly by Nathaniel Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich. Heinrich has written numerous nature books, and regular articles in Natural History Magazine, all of which I've enjoyed. The rest of the volume mostly comprises spaces for entering your own daily nature observations over a five-year period.
Many of the projects suggested in the introduction are too advanced for me. The discipline of looking for something new to record every day keeps us alert when we're walking on our land or in the neighborhood; but then we usually find that the spaces provided are too small to record everything we've seen. That's a good thing I suppose!
The book stars with a 95-page introduction that discusses ways to keep a nature diary. This is written jointly by Nathaniel Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich. Heinrich has written numerous nature books, and regular articles in Natural History Magazine, all of which I've enjoyed. The rest of the volume mostly comprises spaces for entering your own daily nature observations over a five-year period.
Many of the projects suggested in the introduction are too advanced for me. The discipline of looking for something new to record every day keeps us alert when we're walking on our land or in the neighborhood; but then we usually find that the spaces provided are too small to record everything we've seen. That's a good thing I suppose!
January 14, 2019
I bought this for myself in 2017 but didn't get around to it until now. It's a great introduction to observing nature, with tips and stories from the authors, as well as beautiful illustrations. The latter half is a 5-year journal where you can record the world around you and see as it changes. I decided to start it as a project since I just purchased my first home, and thought it would be a great idea to document the changing seasons and wildlife around my house. I wish I could say I've been diligent about keeping up with my resolution to document every day... I have not. But! The intent is there and I'm going to try and get better. :)
February 12, 2019
A recently-received Xmas present from my niece and her family. I live in the woods and have bird feeders. I also throw food onto the ground to try to keep the squirrels off the feeders, so get other critters as well(flying squirrels, red squirrels, grey squirrels, chipmunks, yadda yadda yadda. Lots of birds at the feeder, plus a big flock(25-30) of turkeys wanders through several time as a day(only in winter time). A beautiful red fox went trotting by my patio door the other day. There are deer around and possibly moose too, though I haven't seen one in a while. The local gunslingers like to shoot 'em when they see 'em, even though there's no legal season on moose in this part of Maine.
January 21, 2019
An extremely helpful introductory book to nature journaling and citizen science. The first part of the book is a description of what to observe and how to record what you see in nature. The last part is an organized space for a 5-year record of your observations. The spaces for each day are small, which is both good and bad. The small space makes the habit of writing down observations less daunting as there are so few lines to fill. The lay out will make trends in observations easier to see --- the date of the 1st robin in spring, when did the daffodils bloom? etc. At the same time, the small space for each day does not give you enough space if you want to record detailed observations, so you will need another journal for that (which is easily remedied). A great addition to the library of anyone wanting to journal nature observations.
December 17, 2020
An excellent how-to guide on beginning your own nature journal. Illustrated beautifully throughout, it was easy to read and inspired me to try.
September 20, 2018
For those of you who find pleasure in observation and journaling, this book is a must. Subtitled “tracking changes in the natural world around you,” it is an informative and beautiful resource for observations and tracking of what is going on in your chosen habitat. And it is an autodidact’s delight, filled with useful and interesting information and crisp line drawings as illustrations.
The authors are both academics as well as practitioners in the observation and understanding of the natural world. Their books are many and graced with notable awards. The wonder and curiosity of their studies makes for pleasure in reading.
The book is a compilation of readings, drawings, and charts for the naturalist, be she professional, amateur, beginner, or professional. And it is just plain fun. The focus is on being attentive to the rhythms of nature.
Attentiveness, or familiarity, is a basic requirement for the naturalist. What is significant in a habitat remains invisible without a genuine, direct, and contemplative connection with nature. And there is so much of note to observe.
The authors suggest ways of becoming observant naturalists, experimental ways of learning, and how to truly know your own natural habitat. Where do you feel a sense of place? What do you see, hear, smell, taste, touch? Using these innate senses, we are led to a new appreciation of all that goes on in our own space. Recording these impressions enables development and insight into nature.
A five-year calendar-journal is a necessary component to this book. It encourages self-learning. The calendar, with beautiful pen and ink drawings, is divided into sections which, place our observations in the realms of winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
Rounding out the materials in this book are sections for your own personal glossary encouraging the use of abbreviations and symbols relevant to you, useful books, metric conversions, and timelines for the species and events you follow. This is a truly wonderful book to read, contemplate, and use for personal growth. Becoming a citizen-scientist as did Thoreau, creates a lasting and important record of nature.
The authors are both academics as well as practitioners in the observation and understanding of the natural world. Their books are many and graced with notable awards. The wonder and curiosity of their studies makes for pleasure in reading.
The book is a compilation of readings, drawings, and charts for the naturalist, be she professional, amateur, beginner, or professional. And it is just plain fun. The focus is on being attentive to the rhythms of nature.
Attentiveness, or familiarity, is a basic requirement for the naturalist. What is significant in a habitat remains invisible without a genuine, direct, and contemplative connection with nature. And there is so much of note to observe.
The authors suggest ways of becoming observant naturalists, experimental ways of learning, and how to truly know your own natural habitat. Where do you feel a sense of place? What do you see, hear, smell, taste, touch? Using these innate senses, we are led to a new appreciation of all that goes on in our own space. Recording these impressions enables development and insight into nature.
A five-year calendar-journal is a necessary component to this book. It encourages self-learning. The calendar, with beautiful pen and ink drawings, is divided into sections which, place our observations in the realms of winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
Rounding out the materials in this book are sections for your own personal glossary encouraging the use of abbreviations and symbols relevant to you, useful books, metric conversions, and timelines for the species and events you follow. This is a truly wonderful book to read, contemplate, and use for personal growth. Becoming a citizen-scientist as did Thoreau, creates a lasting and important record of nature.
January 30, 2021
Warning to potential readers! If you love nature, don't read this book! I was expecting to learn more about how to OBSERVE the nature world, not how to DESTROY it with unethical experiments. I only made it through the first 51 pages, because it was too upsetting to continue.
If you want to be traumatized by an example, the worst was on page 45 where one of the authors said he "briefly and very gently wound a padded pipe cleaner loosely around the throats of five baby ravens in their nest" to see what they were being fed. He went on to say "one baby's throat held a fully intact robin's egg. I removed the pipe cleaner, carefully retrieved the egg, and cradled it in my own mouth as I descended the tree." How on earth does that not hurt the baby birds, and even if by some miracle it didn't, now the babies have no food to sustain them and the parent birds think they've been nourished. Plus you put something that came out of a baby bird's body in your mouth?? If you want to know what raven babies are fed, I'm sure at some point one will blow out of a nest in a storm - nature's way - and then you can disect the dead body if you must. Or, if you want to be a normal human being - just Google it and stop hurting poor little baby birds.
Another horror of this book is the egotistical way the authors claim that they know all the dangers of the natural world in the entire North American region. On page 36 they claim that unless you live in an area where there are grizzlies, mountain lions, alligators or disease outbreaks "you don't need to give much thought to the perils of nature." They obviously haven't gone on a hike where I live in Kansas, where I frequently see venomous copperheads that can kill you. There are two venomous snake species in my state, and every state in the contiguous United States has at least one. It's irresponsible to tell people there are no dangers in exploring nature when that's simply not factual.
If you want to be traumatized by an example, the worst was on page 45 where one of the authors said he "briefly and very gently wound a padded pipe cleaner loosely around the throats of five baby ravens in their nest" to see what they were being fed. He went on to say "one baby's throat held a fully intact robin's egg. I removed the pipe cleaner, carefully retrieved the egg, and cradled it in my own mouth as I descended the tree." How on earth does that not hurt the baby birds, and even if by some miracle it didn't, now the babies have no food to sustain them and the parent birds think they've been nourished. Plus you put something that came out of a baby bird's body in your mouth?? If you want to know what raven babies are fed, I'm sure at some point one will blow out of a nest in a storm - nature's way - and then you can disect the dead body if you must. Or, if you want to be a normal human being - just Google it and stop hurting poor little baby birds.
Another horror of this book is the egotistical way the authors claim that they know all the dangers of the natural world in the entire North American region. On page 36 they claim that unless you live in an area where there are grizzlies, mountain lions, alligators or disease outbreaks "you don't need to give much thought to the perils of nature." They obviously haven't gone on a hike where I live in Kansas, where I frequently see venomous copperheads that can kill you. There are two venomous snake species in my state, and every state in the contiguous United States has at least one. It's irresponsible to tell people there are no dangers in exploring nature when that's simply not factual.
July 4, 2020
Half the book is about how to be a good naturalist and the other half is a 5-year calendar style nature journal for recording your own observations. Developing the habit of recording your nature observations makes you more observant.
The layout of the 5-year calendar is interesting. It's designed so that you can see all the entries for a given date (eg July 4) across all 5 years at once. This makes it easy to notice differences and make comparisons over time. For example, the geese at the local duck pond had their babies on May 10 this year. Maybe next year it'll be earlier or later. I should be able to pick up on patterns in the natural world using this journal.
The book itself is gorgeous. It's generously illustrated with drawings of birds and eggs and trees and plants. It's not the kind of nature journal you would take with you while out in nature. It's too big and heavy for that. The amount of space for recording observations each day is quite small - about 2 square inches. Use a sharp pencil or a fine-tip pen, and use abbreviations to save space. (There's a double-page spread for listing your abbreviations.)
I think this would make an excellent gift for nature lovers of all ages, especially those who are new to nature journaling.
The layout of the 5-year calendar is interesting. It's designed so that you can see all the entries for a given date (eg July 4) across all 5 years at once. This makes it easy to notice differences and make comparisons over time. For example, the geese at the local duck pond had their babies on May 10 this year. Maybe next year it'll be earlier or later. I should be able to pick up on patterns in the natural world using this journal.
The book itself is gorgeous. It's generously illustrated with drawings of birds and eggs and trees and plants. It's not the kind of nature journal you would take with you while out in nature. It's too big and heavy for that. The amount of space for recording observations each day is quite small - about 2 square inches. Use a sharp pencil or a fine-tip pen, and use abbreviations to save space. (There's a double-page spread for listing your abbreviations.)
I think this would make an excellent gift for nature lovers of all ages, especially those who are new to nature journaling.
July 22, 2024
The Naturalist's Notebook: An Observation Guide and 5-Year Calendar-Journal for Tracking Changes in the Natural World around You is really two books in one. The first half of the book introduces species and rhythms in nature. Nathaniel T. Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich encourage readers to be curious, ask questions and set up simple experiments to discover patterns throughout the year. The last half of the book is a five year calendar for recording your own observations. This was given to me as a gift and I believe it is the perfect gift for an aspiring naturalist.
March 19, 2025
Mostly a review for the first half of the book, which is the observation guide. (It'll be awhile before we finish the 5 year calendar journal!).
The authors are professional scientists- they are all in - like even excited about watching maggots on carcasses. But they carefully cater the book to any and every backyard naturalist, pointing out both really simple observations and more complex experiments anyone can do, following their interests with the seasons.
It's totally secular, so some parts feel...dry? to a religious reader seeing God's creative handiwork, but it is nonetheless informative and useful. I'm looking forward to what we discover!
The authors are professional scientists- they are all in - like even excited about watching maggots on carcasses. But they carefully cater the book to any and every backyard naturalist, pointing out both really simple observations and more complex experiments anyone can do, following their interests with the seasons.
It's totally secular, so some parts feel...dry? to a religious reader seeing God's creative handiwork, but it is nonetheless informative and useful. I'm looking forward to what we discover!
April 2, 2025
A gorgeous book physically - many wonderful illustrations & pleasingly bound. I'm looking forward to using the observation calendar, which accounts for about half the book. The text portions were more focused on experimental observation than my personal interests, since I find messing with living organisms solely for curiosity makes me ethically squeamish. (That's not a criticism of the book specifically, but more of the approach to study that looks at Others as objects, not subjects in their own right). For someone where "what happens if I do X?" is a compelling question, there's a lot of ideas and encouragement here.
October 27, 2017
Wow! This book could be life changing. For children discovering not only how to relate to nature but learning how to observe. Life changing for anyone who wishes to see, to notice, to learn.
The illustrations, the information and guidance, the empty pages waiting to be filled. A treasure. Not so much opening a door but in this case, pages opening up a world of beauty that will enliven any life.
This book is gift and the time spent creating it, was obviously a labor of love. It was a privilege to come into contact with this book,
The illustrations, the information and guidance, the empty pages waiting to be filled. A treasure. Not so much opening a door but in this case, pages opening up a world of beauty that will enliven any life.
This book is gift and the time spent creating it, was obviously a labor of love. It was a privilege to come into contact with this book,
May 5, 2017
Really intresting hands on book on how to journal about the world around us. It gives such great observation ideas, tips and things to look for and how to document it. Every aspect I could think of was covered! Such lovely drawings too. There is a calendar included but since the book has so much how to information it would be better to have a seperate journal which is also described what kinds you could do. Very interesting and thorough! Great idea and useful for children or adults.
July 23, 2017
This informational book is a must for anyone who loves nature and wants to be more involved with its surroundings. There are step by step guides to help a novice become an engaging and observant naturalist. There are detailed information about how to take notes and important questions to ponder as nature is observed. I especially liked the chapter on getting up close and personal with nature by scrutinizing, touching, listening, smelling, and measuring. I think by doing all this, and not being fearful, you can really appreciate nature to its fullest extent. This would be a great book to incorporate into a school’s science curriculum.
September 13, 2017
I loved The Naturalist's Notebook! It made me want to go outside, right then, in the dark to see what I could observe and add to my calendar for the day. The illustrations are beautiful and the encouragement and suggestions the authors offer will help readers feel confident about starting a nature journal. I believe time spent in nature is so important to our mental health and observing what is happening around us and recording it in this beautiful journal will be a pleasure.
July 12, 2018
I just found a copy at the library and am off to search for it in a bookstore on the weekend! I think this book would be amazing for any nature lover, child or adult! I love the the illustrations- just lovely, Brend Heinrich! And kudos to Nathaniel Wheelwright and Heinrich for all the cool information in the book! Just wonderful! So much thought appears to have gone into making this journal; I can't wait to use it! It would make a fine gift.
May 6, 2021
Es un libro FASCINANTE, siempre he sido una entusiasta de la naturaleza pero no sabía que eso tiene un nombre. Me parece que la información está dada de manera muy sencilla, es fácil de entender, pero también tiene unas analogías PRECIOSAS :’) ahora estoy fascinada con mi entorno y quiero conocer MÁS Y MÁS, la naturaleza es increíble. La forma en la que está escrito es como si estuvieras platicando con algún familiar JAJAJJA
No usaré el diario porque me da pena rayarlo.
No usaré el diario porque me da pena rayarlo.
March 11, 2023
I can not recommend this book enough to anyone who finds enjoyment, curiosity, and wonder in the natural world. I have read it through minimum 3x now and learn something new with each read.
The five year journal I did not begin until a few years after the first read but am enjoying so much looking back and comparing the dates of events. I can see myself needing another in three years time. Worth every penny.
The five year journal I did not begin until a few years after the first read but am enjoying so much looking back and comparing the dates of events. I can see myself needing another in three years time. Worth every penny.
June 21, 2017
This book is compulsively readable. The co-authors of 'The Naturalist's Notebook' have a wealth of knowledge and many years of experience. They team up to creatively present a read that is exquisite and useful to anyone that enjoys nature. I highly recommend this book. It is a treasure! I received this ARC and reviewed for Net Galley.
January 19, 2021
Half beautifully illustrated instructions and musings on observing, recording, and analysing the natural world, no matter where you live, and half five-year calendar journal for recording observations. More inspirational than educational, though there are suggestions for becoming an observant naturalist and ways to record and analyse information year over year.
July 13, 2021
I picked up this book at the Field Museum in Chicago, and after reading it, promptly ordered a copy for my mother, who gardens avidly. Although the spaces for daily notes are small within the 5 year calendar style, it is enough of a challenge just to start the habit of daily observation. I will seek out more books by Bernd Heinrich.
June 20, 2017
The Naturalist's Notebook is a guide for nature lovers. It would be perfect for homeschoolers who are interested in nature study. This is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time. I received an ARC from NetGalley.
January 1, 2022
This book gives excellent ideas for observing and recording the nature all around us. It also has a 5 year calendar with space to keep track of the birds, wildlife and plants all around us including weather patterns. I have used this for several years and given a copy as a gift as well.
September 3, 2022
Very inspiring with lots of practical tips for deepening and improving your nature journaling skills. Lovely cover and artwork throughout. The 5 year calendar to record observations makes it fun and easy to see patterns in the natural world around you.
October 6, 2022
Honestly, I abandoned the notekeeping part of this about halfway into record keeping because the space was just too small to make notes. The information within the book is very beneficial and I would urge people to use it in conjunction with a separate notebook. 3.75 stars.
January 27, 2025
This book is only about 95 pages of writing with the remainder being a 5-year journal. Because of that, it is not one I’ll keep on my shelf. It would be most suited to someone new to the idea of nature journaling or someone interested in learning to become a naturalist.
January 4, 2018
Enjoyed reading the book and am looking forward to recording in it for the next 5 years!
January 31, 2022
Beautiful book, using the diary to map the goings on in the garden with my 11 year old son. He will be 16 when we finish. Time eh.
January 7, 2024
Superb! They just need to make a follow up one for tge next 5 years. LOVED this and now I am finished 😕
October 27, 2017
4 1/2 stars
As I read through this beautifully illustrated book, I was struck by what a wonderful gift this would make for parents of young children who are trying not only to carve out family activities but also to get them involved in pursuits beyond electronic ones.
The authors provide a great deal of guidance on how to become a naturalist, an observer of the natural world around you, what to look for, how to record observations, and information for further research.
As an individual who tries to observe the world around me everyday and has a philosophy of observing and not interacting in the natural world in any way that could do harm, I was not keen on the “experiment” sections, but others will probably find these sections very useful. Who knows they could even nurture a budding biologist!
The end section is a five-year calendar with sections for writing observations so this becomes not only a guide but a keepsake.
I would recommend this for anyone who would like to begin to observe their natural environment and, as I mentioned, it would make a wonderful gift. The dimensions are 8.2 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches so I think it could easily be carried around in a knapsack for easy access.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As I read through this beautifully illustrated book, I was struck by what a wonderful gift this would make for parents of young children who are trying not only to carve out family activities but also to get them involved in pursuits beyond electronic ones.
The authors provide a great deal of guidance on how to become a naturalist, an observer of the natural world around you, what to look for, how to record observations, and information for further research.
As an individual who tries to observe the world around me everyday and has a philosophy of observing and not interacting in the natural world in any way that could do harm, I was not keen on the “experiment” sections, but others will probably find these sections very useful. Who knows they could even nurture a budding biologist!
The end section is a five-year calendar with sections for writing observations so this becomes not only a guide but a keepsake.
I would recommend this for anyone who would like to begin to observe their natural environment and, as I mentioned, it would make a wonderful gift. The dimensions are 8.2 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches so I think it could easily be carried around in a knapsack for easy access.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews