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Somehow, it’s already November. The last few months have passed in a hot, sweaty blur, but we are now treated to crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and the final bursts of fall color before winter settles in. The days grow shorter, and everything feels calmer as nature begins to slow down. I’ve always loved this time of year because it feels like a peaceful pause between seasons. The chaos of back-to-school routines, fall sports and Halloween have passed, but the hustle and bustle of Christmas hasn’t quite arrived. It’s a few short weeks when life seems to take a deep, cleansing breath, and the quiet rhythm of nature invites you to do the same. This is an excellent time to notice the subtle details around you, such as bare branches, migrating birds, or the rustling of leaves across the ground.
November Nature Journaling Prompts
- Foggy Morning
- Leaf Blanket
- Final Flight (migrating geese or ducks)
- Acorn Hunt
- Bare Beauty
- Morning Frost
- Grateful for Nature
- Hickory & Oak
- Late Autumn Colors
- Fading Fields
- Chill in the Air
- Hidden Homes (burrows, nests, dens)
- River Reflections
- Sound of Silence
- Wild Turkeys
- Blowing Leaves
- Seasonal Shift
- Nature’s Textures
- Animal Tracks
- Sunset Sketch
- Gathering Storm
- Campfire Glow
- Cozy Wildlife (squirrels, deer, etc.)
- Grateful Heart
- End of Season
How to Use These Prompts
I’ve created 25 prompts this month to help you explore the season in your own creative way. Each one is an invitation to slow down and notice what’s happening around you, whether it’s a change in color, light, or mood. You might choose to capture your observations through a quick sketch, a watercolor painting, a mixed-media collage, or even a few thoughtful written reflections. There’s no single right way to respond to these prompts—the goal is simply to observe, interpret, and enjoy the process.
If you’re new to nature journaling or want a refresher on materials and techniques, you can find everything you need in my original article here.
Prompt #3 – Final Flight (migrating ducks or geese)
Living in the Mississippi Flyway just down the road from the Bald Knob Wildlife Refuge means we are treated to daily and nightly flyovers from thousands of ducks and geese heading south from the winter. If we’re lucky, we may even spot a few of the swans that have been coming to Heber Springs since 1991. If you haven’t taken the opportunity to see the swans, they usually arrive around Thanksgiving and stay until around mid-February. This pen and ink watercolor sketch celebrates the southern migration.
Prompt #18 – Nature’s Textures
As an art teacher, I have always loved exploring textures. My students, especially the younger ones, love creating texture rubbings. It’s simple to do–just place your paper over a textured item like a leaf or a bit of bark, grab a “naked” crayon, and rub it over the paper. Use brown, red and purple crayons over warm colors (I also used green), then cut out the shapes and glue them down for a stunning page in your nature journal. For bonus points––label each leaf with the name of the tree it came from!
Prompt #24 – Cozy Wildlife
The squirrels have spent the summer robbing our bird feeders and now they’re collecting more than their fair share of pecans from our trees. It’s fun to observe them as they skitter across the yard, storing up for winter and avoiding the dogs. I did a few quick pencil sketches of the Fox Squirrels in different positions.
Nature journals can be very personal, but if you’d like to share some of your pages with us on Instagram, you can use #onlyinarknature and tag @onlyinark. If you share a post, we may feature it in an upcoming article. Check back at the end of November for the December prompts. Until then, Happy Journaling!
Cover photo courtesy of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
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