MORRIS, Sandra A New Zealand Nature Journal Walker, 2014 48pp A$19.95 NZ$22.99 ISBN 9781921977657 SCIS 1672303
In this book, Sandra Morris presents many creative pages showing innovative and attractive ways to record observations in a nature journal. There are sections devoted to the wildlife and plants in many different habitats, both urban and rural, such as gardens, mountains, zoos, parks and forests. There are suggestions for a moon log, for seasonal colour wheels and for the layout of vegetable gardens. Objects are arranged on pages in unusual and striking ways and lettering is often hand-drawn and coloured. There are lots of ideas to spark creative journaling.
However there are some issues that mean this book may be more suitable for older readers or those with background knowledge. In the introduction, examples are given of journals which have been kept in the past, such as ship’s logs, but nowhere is the concept of a journal actually explained. Also the fact box about birds asks ‘Does it have an eye ring? Does it have wing bars?’ but there is no definition for what these are. They are not included in the glossary or shown on the accompanying diagram so readers would need prior experience with these terms.
The book concentrates on New Zealand wildlife and habitats which may not resonate quite so well with Australian readers. Not only are the habitats different but also many of the species mentioned have Maori names which are unfamiliar to an Australian readership. Despite these reservations, this is an attractive book with creative and imaginative ideas to spark curiosity about the natural world and to record observations in an interesting manner.
reviewed by Lynne Babbage