One project I highly recommend that we all do for Botany class, is to keep a nature journal about plants made with plants! You can either make a nature journal from scratch, including making your own paper (made from plants ; ) out of recycled paper, or begin with the most basic of materials such as a blank notebook. You can add some decorations to the cover and make it look very "nature-like". Below you can find several websites and video tutorials about making a nature journal and how to use it.
After you make your journal, begin by taking a walk through your backyard and look for plants including trees, shrubs, wildflowers and even non-flowering plants such as ferns and moss. Sketch the plants of interest and write interesting observations about them. You can also take photographs of the plants, print them out and add them to your journal later.
Below are merely suggestions and guidelines for you on how you can keep your journal, but you get to decide how to design and record information that's interesting to you about the plants around your backyard and local area into your journal. We'd love to have students present their nature journals in my CurrClick Live classes!
Natureglo
Natureglo's Journals
Journal 2010 - 2011
Here is the journal I used in my HASC on-site, "in-person" nature program at Heathcote. I got a lot of "milieage" from this journal! It's just a simple lined composition notebook. You might like to get a notebook without lines though.
Below I have two pictures from a plant press book I used from a photo album I bought at the dollar store. I began it back in 2003. The plants are still very well preserved specimens as you can see. I took these pictures the summer of 2011.
My MathArt Journal
Here is an entry I'm including from my MathArt journal since it showcases one of my favorite early spring flowers, the Trout Lily. I sketched this 4/17/05.
Another MathArt Journal Sketch - Spring early signs
Here is another journal entry from my MathArt journal featuring the buds from a tree I found on a walk along a country road.
My Kamana II Nature Journal
Here is an entry for a my nature awareness course, Kamana, from the Wilderness Awareness School. I took this course back in 2009 - 2010. Notice the detailed descriptions of which most of the information I acquired from several plant field guides.
My Poison Ivy Plant Journal Entry
Nothing sets me to dancing in avoidance through the forest than the sight of poison ivy. I have had several unfortunate accounts with this plant, leaving me with weeks of misery. It is very wise to know this plant in all of it's wiley shapes and forms including vines, shrubs, short ground runners, and more! Know what they look like in ALL seasons too as the oily urushiol which leaves those allergic to the plant with itchy spots that can evolve into miserable blisters if itched is active ALWAYS!