Shared by Jonathan Harding, Visitor Services Intern, as Guest Blogger.

Have you ever felt inspired by nature?  When inspiration strikes it may be important to record it at that moment so you can capture all your thoughts, feelings, and senses accurately.

If you want to write down these inspiring moments you won't need a fancy store bought journal, you can make your own Nature Notebook and channel your inner outdoor writer when you visit Virginia State Parks.

Let spontaneity and natural inspiration be your guide

There are no rules for what you can put in your Nature Notebook. If you see something amazing and want to draw a picture of it; sketch away.  If want to write about something awesome you see; write it down. Write letters to friends, or to your future self. Don’t worry about spelling, or using complete sentences. 

Virginia State Parks are a great place to explore with your Nature Notebook in hand. 

From the bald cypress swamps at First Landing State Park to the Farm & Forestry Museum at Chippokes State Park, you can be moved by our nation's history or by a dragonfly resting on a fallen log or the loud croaking of a bullfrog, or even the skittering a squirrel in the trees. 

We can learn a lot from nature; both about the world, and about ourselves. 

A Nature Notebook helps foster a love for the outdoors, a better understanding of how nature affects us, and how we affect nature. Scroll down for step by step instructions and photos on how to make your own Nature Notebook.

Supplies Needed (feel free to use materials that allow you to recycle and repurpose:

• A piece of heavy cardstock or cardboard. A cereal box, construction paper, or brown grocery bag works well.
• Several pieces of blank or lined notebook paper
• A ruler, needle & thread, and scissors. You might also want an awl to pre-punch holes if your cardboard cover is thick.

Step 1: Lay out your supplies

You probably have most of these supplies in the house already making it a great upcycle project

Step 2: Place the notebook paper on top of the cardboard and fold in half. Use the ruler as a guide.

You can use an awl, a sharp pencil, a fork, or a hole punch to make it easier to sew your notebook together

Step 3: Prepunch holes down the middle, sew everything together with your needle and thread.  Use strong fishing line or vinyl string. You can also use yard or strips of fabric.

There is something to be said about crafting your own notebook

Step 4: Tie off your string, fold everything over and you have your Nature Notebook.

Virginia State Parks might inspire you to draw pictures, write poetry, reminisce, or reinvent

Step 5: Get outdoors at Virginia State Parks and be inspired by our natural and cultural history.

If you are new to the outdoors or have never visited your nearby Virginia State Park, click here for an interactive calendar of guided hikes, kayak trips, and craft programs.