Wild Wonder Foundation

09/09/2026

We are so excited that expeditionary artist and educator, Maria Coryell-Martin, Expeditionary Art, will be one of our teachers at the 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, online September 15-19, 2026.

Maria Coryell-Martin, founder of Art Toolkit, is an expeditionary artist in the tradition of traveling artists as naturalists and educators. Her travels have brought her face-to-face with polar bears, leopard seals, emperor penguins, and narwhals. She believes in art as a tool for exploration, observation, and scientific inquiry, and she often collaborates with scientific teams. In the field, she sketches with ink and watercolor, and collects multimedia recordings to build her palette of place, a record of experience, climate, and color. She develops this work into studio paintings, presentations, and workshops for audiences of all ages to cultivate observation, scientific inquiry, and environmental awareness.

Join Maria, along with John Muir Laws, Rosemary Mosco, Lisa Spangler, Roseann Hanson and 20+ other teachers, journalers, artists, authors, and thought leaders in nature, nature journaling, visual thinking, and conservation at our 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, which will be held online September 15-19, 2026. This annual international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, inspire each other, and have fun together in nature’s beauty.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites.

Video Passes are also on sale now, and partial scholarships are available (apply on the website). Visit the link in bio or wildwonder.org/26 to learn more, meet our stellar team of teachers, and buy your pass today!

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

Why do people love the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference? ❓🧐 See captions in reel for a few examples (hold down to read longer), then comment below and let us know why YOU love it! 💬💕🥰

The 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference will be held online September 15-19, 2026. This annual international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, inspire each other, and have fun together in nature’s beauty.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites.

Video Passes are also on sale now, and partial scholarships are available (apply on the website). Visit the link in bio or wildwonder.org/26 to learn more, meet our stellar team of teachers, and buy your pass today!

09/05/2026

We are delighted that multi-bestselling author and nature journaler Amy Tan will be a Keynote Speaker at the 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, online September 15-19, 2026.

Amy Tan is a bestselling novelist, essayist, and nature journalist. Her 2024 book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, is a #1 New York Times bestseller. In 2026, The Backyard Bird Journal and the Backyard Bird Deck were released as companions to the The Backyard Bird Journal. Amy is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2023 she received the National Humanities Medal. She has been a member of the Nature Journal Club on Facebook since 2016 and also has taken workshops with author, artist, and educator John Muir Laws, which led to her passion for nature journaling. She wrote the introduction to How to Teach Nature Journaling by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren. (Read her full bio on our website!)

Join Amy, along with John Muir Laws, Kristin Link, and 20+ other teachers, journalers, artists, authors, and thought leaders in nature, nature journaling, visual thinking, and conservation at our 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, which will be held online September 15-19, 2026. This annual international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, inspire each other, and have fun together in nature’s beauty.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites.

Video Passes are also on sale now, and partial scholarships are available (apply on the website). Visit the link in bio or wildwonder.org/26 to learn more, meet our stellar team of teachers, and buy your pass today!

09/05/2026

Join us for a Sandhill Crane Nature Journaling Field Trip with John Muir Laws John Muir Laws near Sacramento, California, on 12/19/26.

Prepare yourself for a primeval experience in the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. We will gather to draw and study the Sandhill Cranes that migrate to the area for the winter. We will explore wetlands through the morning and share a potluck lunch. In the late afternoon, we will watch the fly-in of cranes before nightfall.

Space is limited and registration is required. This event is FREE but we ask for and encourage a $25-$50 donation to support the Wild Wonder Foundation. Learn more and register at the EVENTS link in bio or at wildwonder.org/events

Special thanks to John Muir Laws for volunteering his time to lead and teach our group with such kindness, skill, and unbridled JOY!

And sign up for our Wild Wonder mailing list on our website at wildwonder.org/subscribe to hear about our events–we’ve got some amazing adventures planned for 2027, and folks on our mailing list are the first to hear about them.

NOTE: All art in this post by John Muir Laws.

09/05/2026

We are so happy that author and science illustrator Kristin Link Kristin Link will be one of our teachers at the 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, online September 15-19, 2026.

Kristin Link is a science illustrator, visual artist, and educator based in McCarthy, Alaska. Her work explores the intersection of art, ecology, and place, focusing on northern landscapes including glaciers, tundra, and the boreal forest. Her first book, Discover the Art of Field Sketching (Timber Press, 2026), draws on more than a decade of teaching field sketching in Alaska and beyond. Kristin’s illustrations have been featured in museum exhibits, educational materials, and her long-running nature journal column in her local newspaper, the Copper River Record. She teaches field sketching and science communication across Alaska and online.

Join Kristin, along with John Muir Laws, Amy Tan, Grant Snider, and 20+ other teachers, journalers, artists, authors, and thought leaders in nature, nature journaling, visual thinking, and conservation at our 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, which will be held online September 15-19, 2026. This annual international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, inspire each other, and have fun together in nature’s beauty.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites.

Video Passes are also on sale now, and partial scholarships are available (apply on the website). Visit the link in bio or wildwonder.org/26 to learn more, meet our stellar team of teachers, and buy your pass today!

09/03/2026

Now open for bidding—the 2026 Wild Wonder Online Auction! 🎉👏🥰

Fly on over to wildwonder.org/auction26 and browse and bid on more than 140 fantastic items including art originals & prints, art & journaling supplies, binoculars, books, classes, & more! We have several exclusive items including a special traveling nature journal created by several artists in Europe, an original journal by comic artist Mark Simmons , stays at the beautiful Montfair Resort Farm , private in-person nature journaling trip with John Muir Laws , signed art posters by Enmei Tan , an original watercolor by Jean Mackay , a signed original watercolor by Obi Kaufmann Obi Kaufmann , and more! Auction closes on 9/20/26 at 5pm Pacific.

All proceeds from this auction support the Wild Wonder Foundation, which is dedicated to encouraging nature connection and conservation through attention, curiosity, art, science, and community. Co-founded by award-winning artist, educator, scientist, and author John Muir Laws, Wild Wonder strives to make nature and nature journaling accessible to everyone by sponsoring the annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference as well as other events, educational workshops, field trips, teacher trainings, retreats, exhibits, grants, and other free resources and projects in support of our mission.

Thank you to all of the generous people, organizations, and companies who donated items for our 2026 auction!

09/03/2026

We’re so excited that multi bestselling author Austin Kleon Austin Kleon will be a Keynote Speaker at the 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, online September 15-19, 2026.

Austin Kleon is The New York Times bestselling author of a series of illustrated books about creativity in the digital age: Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work!, Keep Going, and his latest book, Don’t Call It Art. He’s also the author of Newspaper Blackout, a collection of poems made by redacting the newspaper with a permanent marker. His books have sold more than two million copies and have been translated into more than 30 languages. He’s been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS Newshour, and in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. New York Magazine called his work “brilliant,” The Atlantic called him “positively one of the most interesting people on the Internet,” and The New Yorker said his poems “resurrect the newspaper when everybody else is declaring it dead.” He speaks for organizations such as Pixar, Google, Netflix, SXSW, TEDx, Dropbox, Adobe, and The Economist. In previous lives, he worked as a librarian, a web designer, and an advertising copywriter. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and sons.

Join Austin, along with John Muir Laws, Ed Yong, Charlotte Belland, and 20+ other teachers, journalers, artists, authors, and thought leaders in nature journaling, visual thinking, and conservation at our 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, held online September 15-19, 2026. This international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, inspire each other, and have fun.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites. Video Passes are also on sale now. Partial scholarships are available (apply on website). Visit wildwonder.org/26 to learn more, meet our stellar team of teachers, and buy your pass!

09/02/2026

We are so happy that botanical artist Laura Watson Laura Watson | Watercolor Botanical Artist & Instructor will be one of our teachers at the 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, online September 15-19, 2026.

Laura Watson is a botanical artist based on Vancouver Island, Canada. Her lifelong love of plants began in childhood and continues to inspire her detailed watercolor botanical portraits and teaching practice. She holds a Diploma with Distinction in Botanical Painting from the London Art College and a diploma from the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) in the UK. In 2015, Laura was accepted into the Botanical Artists of Canada (BAC). Her work centers on nature journaling, particularly her ongoing Native Plants Feature Series, which documents the native flora of the Pacific Northwest through intricate watercolor and ink illustrations. 

Join Laura, along with John Muir Laws, Kristin Link, Mark Simmons, and 20+ other teachers, journalers, artists, authors, and thought leaders in nature, nature journaling, visual thinking, and conservation at our 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, which will be held online September 15-19, 2026. This annual international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, inspire each other, and have fun together in nature’s beauty.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites.

Video Passes are also on sale now, and partial scholarships are available (apply on the website). Visit the link in bio or wildwonder.org/26 to learn more, meet our stellar team of teachers, and buy your pass today!

08/31/2026

The 8th Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference wouldn’t be the same without the one and only, John Muir Laws () as one of our teachers!

John Muir Laws (aka Jack) is a principal leader and innovator of the worldwide nature journaling movement and the co-founder of the Wild Wonder Foundation. As a scientist, educator, and author, he helps people forge a deep, personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals and understanding science. As a dyslexic, Jack struggled in school, but found delight in learning through time in nature and keeping notebooks. Trained as a wildlife biologist and scientific illustrator, he observes the world with rigorous attention and awe, looking for mysteries, playing with ideas, and seeking connection in all he sees. He’s found that attention, observation, curiosity, and creative thinking are not gifts, but skills that grow with training and deliberate practice. He’s the author and illustrator of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling (also available in Spanish), The Laws Sketchbook, The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds, and more!

Join Jack, along with Amy Tan, Kristin Link, and 20+ other teachers, journalers, artists, authors, and thought leaders in nature, nature journaling, visual thinking, and conservation at our 8th annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, which will be held online September 15-19, 2026. This annual international nature journaling event—the largest of its kind–gathers people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, inspire each other, and have fun together in nature’s beauty.

Your pass includes 30–yes, THIRTY!!—classes and talks for just $165–that is less than $6 per class/talk—a fantastic bargain! Bonus: All passes include access to the recordings for 6+ months afterwards, so you can watch at your own pace or rewatch your favorites.