A Year of Nature Journaling Prompts
Daily Nature Journaling Prompts
Let's celebrate nature and put in some “pencil miles”!** Each day this year, create a page in your nature journal based on that day’s prompt. Scroll down for links to more resources for this month’s prompts.
BONUS: Join this month’s host, longtime nature journaler and ecoreportage artist, Robin Lee Carlson, for a FREE live online class, the Language of Shadows, on 10/25/25 at 10am Pacific.
We can’t wait to see your work! Share it with us by tagging us @wildwonderfoundation using #naturejournalingoctober and we’ll share with the community! Tag a friend in your post to invite them to join in the fun!
PS: Looking for prompts from a prior month? Pop to the ARCHIVE at the bottom of this page!
** “Drawing is not a gift—it is a skill. You can learn to draw. You just have to put in the pencil miles.”
—John Muir Laws
Nature Journaling October Prompts
Some of the prompts below link to additional free resources and/or tutorials. Special thanks to this month’s host teacher Robin Lee Carlson.
Be sure to sign up for the special live online free class, Language of Shadows with Robin! (Registration link coming soon!)
1. Shadows Cast by Leaves
2. Shadows Cast on Leaves
3. Overlapping Shadows
4. One Plant’s Shadow Throughout the Day
5. Shadows that Reveal Contours
6. Moon Shadows (Harvest Moon Tonight)
7. A Surprising Shadow
8. Create a Collection of Shadow Colors
10. Draw a Tree by Only Drawing Shadows
11. Unusual Shadow Colors
12. Shadow Outlines
13. Exploring Texture: Shadows in Ink
14. Exploring Texture: Colored Pencil Shadows
15. Exploring Texture: Watercolor Shadows
16. Describe a Shadow in Words
17. Draw Rocks by Only Drawing Shadows
18. Shadows with Sharp Edges
19. Shadows with Blurry Edges
20. Bird Shadows
21. Shadows in Motion
22. Your Own Shadow
23. Describe a Shadow Discovery in Words
24. Draw a Landscape by Only Drawing Shadows
25. *Language of Shadows: free live online class, 10/25/25, 10am Pacific
26. Revisit the Day 3 Plant Throughout the Day
27. Intricate Shadows
28. Shadows in Water Ripples
29. Reflected Colors in Shadows
30. Cloud Shadows
31. Hidden in the Shadows
*Live online class with Robin Lee Carlson! Register here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NATURE JOURNALING
Join us for a week of nature journaling JOY with our seventh annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference video pass!
Join Wonderland, a free, fun, supportive, private online community hosted by the Wild Wonder Foundation.
ARCHIVE: Nature Journaling Prompts
Click each month to explore the prompts and link to additional resources.