You will want to have several things ready to start your nature jottings.
Here is a short list with some pictures of appropriate items.
1. A paper Journal about 11 x 14” or an equivalent size. It should be big enough so that you can tape leaves onto a page and have space left over to write your notes. You will need at least 50 pages.
2. A mechanical pencil. I like the cheap kind that are available in any department store.
3. An ink pen with a fine tip that is not water soluble. Usually you will want to write notes with your pencil, but sometimes you may want an indelible record. Occasionally I go over my pencil lines to create permanent information or a permanent drawing. A Micron pen size 01 will work well. These are available at art stores such as Michaels, Dick Blick, or Jerry’s Artarama.
4. A few colored pencils in green, blue, red, orange, purple and yellow. I use color fast colored pencils, but they are more expensive. Inexpensive ones are ok, but the color should be bright. Very cheap pencils usually have poor color quality.
5. Cellophane tape or medical tape that is acid free is useful to hold leaves and other objects to the page. Usually the pharmacy carries the tape for bandages. It sticks better than cellophane tape and is acid free.
6. A small ruler about 6-12.” I like to keep my equipment easy to carry, so I usually use a 6” ruler. Plastic or metal is fine.
7. A gum eraser so you can erase a mistake easily. Sometimes I think of a word I like better than the one I wrote. Or I want to change a line in my drawing.
8. A small backpack is a good way to carry the items you will need. You will want to keep everything together so it is easy to find when you are ready to go walking. You will need to have room for your nature notebook, pencils and drawing items, a cell phone, if you have one, a small bottle of water and a snack.
