About NJSA Community

We are a nature journaling community in South Africa.

Nature journaling is our tool to learn about and deepen our connection with nature.

It feeds our connection with nature, each other and our stewardship.

We slow down to observe nature.

We stop long enough to hand record on paper our observations, thoughts and feelings.

We all have something to learn from each other

We encourage each other. Our community enriches our individual nature journaling experiences. We share across communities, languages, interests and disciplines. Our community is diverse in many ways. We are people of all identities, all histories, and from all contexts. We are committed to values of respect; fairness; equity; generosity of spirit, skills and knowledge; and justice.

You can read more about us here.

Check it out! We have two instagram accounts.

@naturejournaling_southafrica

@naturejournaling_capetown - we post notices of events happening in Cape Town here.

We follow the Nature Journalers' code of conduct, putting our respect for the environment and other people into practice. These questions guide us:

Who am I in this place?
How do I know that I am putting into practice my respect for:

wildlife? wildness?
other people?
my NJ experience?
spaces and places including its history, environments and habitats?

Read the Nature Journalers' Code of Conduct here.

Join our community of nature journalers in South Africa here, or contact us here.

Create a local community with nature journal buddies, friends, family, or as part of other nature focused or outdoor group.

View of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa from Rondebosch Commons	Close-up of head and front left leg of Cape Dwarf Chameleon	Sign about protection of chameleons at Keurboom Park, Cape Town.	Selfie of mixed walking and NJ group on outing at Cecilia Forest	Three people sitting on ground of pine plantation (Cecilia Pine Plantation, Cape Town) recording in journals.
Thokozani showing his notes on nature journaling process at Somkhanda, northern KwaZulu-Natal	Tracy and Bongani on Outing - Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve	Thokozani nature journaling at Somkhanda, northern KwaZulu-Natal	Tanya, Cati, Bongani, Yousuf and Lisa on NJSA Outing at Japanese Gardens, Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal	NJSA members: Nolwazi, Cati, Lee and Yousuf, at Durban Botanic Gardens for skills building session
Nolwazi with Umgeni Estuary Eco-Champs on ouing at New Germany Nature Reserve	Nature journal outing with Cati, Marianne and Yousuf at Krantzkloof Nature Reserve	Tracy, Cati and Marianne on NJSA Outing to bird hide at Mzomambo Lake, KwaDukuza	NJSA Outing to New Germany Nature Reserve, nature journaling stop at bird hide	NJSA Outing to Bluff Nature Reserve, nature journaling stop at bird hide
Giba Gorge, a favourite place for outings.	Yousuf on nature journaling walk, Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve	Outing to Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, view of gorge from along trail.	Krantzokoof Nature Reserve view from top of gorge	Krantzkloof Nature Reserve part of waterfall at start of gorge
Mbaxeni gorge, Eastern Cape "The caves seen on the other side of the gorge are full of shell middens as they were once occupied for thousands of years by people."	Mbaxeni River cascades, Eastern Cape	View of birds on strip viewed from bird hide, KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal	Bluff Nature Reserve
	Female Tree Agama in suburban garden, Durban		Euphobia flanaganii found around Mbaxeni river.	Ochna natalia in bloom at Krantzkloof Nature
Ostrich family with 12 chicks and parents	Snooks' nature journal compilation from early lockdown observations from member in southern KZN