Feb. 27, 2026, 4:05 a.m. CT
- The CenLa Master Naturalists hosted a workshop on nature journaling and citizen science.
- Citizen science involves unpaid volunteers collecting data for scientific research, like the annual Christmas Bird Counts.
- Nature journaling is the practice of observing and documenting nature through drawings, writings, or collected items.
- The Louisiana Master Naturalist Association offers workshops to educate citizens about the state’s environment and ecosystems.
At a workshop hosted by the CenLa Master Naturalists, a chapter of the Louisiana Master Naturalist Association, at the Alexandria Zoo last Saturday, participants learned about nature journaling and citizen science opportunities.
Marty Floyd, a retired biologist with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and president of the CenLa Master Naturalists, described citizen science as scientific research done by members of the public who are unpaid volunteers. He conducted the workshop portion on citizen science.
“The best example is the Christmas bird counts, which were started in 1900 – December 1900,” Floyd said.
The program is called Christmas Bird Counts, he explained, and is usually done between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 and is the longest running continuous citizen project in the world. Louisiana has more than 20 Christmas bird counts every year.
“Everything is counted in a 15-mile diameter circle,” he said.
There are all different kinds of counts that can be done such as dragonfly and amphibian counts. Floyd said butterfly counts done by citizen scientists are turned into the North American Butterfly Association. Citizen scientists also can assist in projects like bird banding.
“Tracking these things shows how things have changed year by year,” he said. “Are populations increasing or decreasing?”
From the information gathered they can learn about the species and what factors in the environment are causing certain behaviors or patterns.
Betsy Trammell has been nature journaling since 2006 and instructed workshop participants on how it’s done. Nature journaling is observing what is going on in nature and drawing or writing about your observation in a journal. Or items like leaves or insect wings can also be put in the journal.
Observing nature and journaling is also entertaining, Trammell said.
“You go into the woods, and you see a plant, and it’s like seeing an old friend,” she said. “You remember who it is. You may even know who its cousin was or its parents. They all have families. They’re all related. Having drawn them, you will remember better who they are.”
You don’t have to know how to draw perfectly to journal, Trammell said.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect, because the journal is only for you,” she said.
Nature journaling doesn’t mean you have to hike through a forest. It can be done in your own backyard or even in a park.
Trammell brought pine cones, branches, different plants and other items with her for the workshop participants to draw.
“All of these things I picked up in my yard or on the City Park pathway,” she said. “City Park pathway is a great place to find things that fall on your pathway, and you can just pick them up.”
Trammell became interested in nature journaling after taking her first Master Naturalist class.
“We spent time in the woods, and we had time to sit and draw what we were looking at,” she said. “At that time we didn’t have Google or YouTube.”
Back then, they took field guides into the woods with them to identify what they found.
Trammell brought all her journals dating back to 2006 with her for the workshop participants to look at for inspiration.
“Fun books. They are my babies,” she said of her journals filled with drawings and items like feathers, sticks or insect wings.
Trammell encourages those who are starting to nature journal to keep a yearly journal so they can go back through it and to see what they have observed at certain times of the year, and what to look out for the next time they go out.
And draw anything that grabs your attention whether it’s trees, limbs, leaves, insects, mushroom or plants.
“And the fauna. If you see lizards, frogs, turtles — all fun to draw, and easy to recognize and identify when you get home and go to YouTube or Google and look them up,” she said.
According to the LMNA website, the organization’s “primary purpose is to offer a statewide program that educates Louisiana citizens about their precious flora and fauna, as well as other aspects of their environment and ecosystems. Once certified, the Louisiana Master Naturalists are required to use their talents to educate others or assist programs that promote and protect Louisiana’s natural heritage.”
Participation in eight workshops is necessary for certification. Workshops usually start at 9 a.m. and end about 2 p.m. Fees are $25 for the year. If attending Allen Acres or Rockefeller Refuge, an additional $25 each is charged.
To find out more about LMNA and the CenLa Masters Naturalists, visit the Louisiana Master Naturalist Association website.
Check out this list of upcoming workshops.
- March 7: Fisheries hosted by Talon Jeppson at Booker Fowler Hatchery in Woodworth.
- March 21: Birds by Eric Johnson in Sunset, La.
- April 25: Red Cocade Woodpecker (RCW) with Steve Shively at Indian Creek in Woodworth.
- May 23: Tree ID with Kim Hollier at Louisiana Arboretum Chicot State Park in Ville Platte.
- June 27: Herpatology & Insects. Hosted by Brad Gloriosa and Chistof Stump at LSUA.
- July 25: Pine Ecology & Butterflies hosted by Emlyn Smith and Linda Auid at USFS in Grant Parish.
- Aug. 21-23: Plants, Bogs, Moths. Host by Charles Allen at Allen Acres in Pitkin.
- Sept.12: Geocache, hike, scavenger hunt hosted by Mary Ward and Marty Floyd at the Lakeshore Trail near the East Kincaid Lake Boat Launch on Messina Road.
- Oct. 9-11: Costal Restoration & Alligators hosted by Phillip Trosclair and Marty Floyd at Rockefeller Refuge in Grand Chenier.
- Nov. 7: Ferns, Moss, and Fungi hosted by Kyle Patton at Long Leaf Vista in the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness area.