Workshops
This year, we offered two workshops on the following topics:
Introduction to Nature journaling (for adults)
Date: Tuesday 11th February 2025
Time: 9.00am - 12:00pm
Duration: 3 hours
Location: Monash University Clayton Campus
Max participants: 25 people
Tickets: $40 per person
About the workshop:
Nature journaling is the practice of drawing or writing in response to observations of nature. The practice slows you down, increases your mindfulness (or clears your mind), and increases your attention to detail and appreciation of beauty. It helps you to notice the details in nature, and improves your recognition of different species, and your understanding of where and how they live. With time, it also improves your ability to observe, to draw and to write. Spending quiet time in nature has many wellness benefits, and nature journaling is a practice that encourages this ‘quiet time’ and reflection.
This session is pitched to adults (ages 15 years and above), although interested kids 10 years old and over are welcome if accompanied by an adult. The session includes: a brief introduction to what nature journaling is; a reflection on place; beginner lessons in drawing and writing; an exploration of the nature journaling prompts; an introduction to nature journaling materials; and time for free nature journaling. Longer sessions will include additional drawing / writing exercises and activities to improve observation skills. The session is adapted to the landscape and plant/animal species present at Monash University.
What to bring:
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A blank unlined notebook, sketchbook or journal
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Greylead pencil or mechanical pencil (preferably 2B)
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Ink pen with waterproof ink (e.g. Pigma Micron fineliner size 03 or similar)
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Colour materials (e.g. coloured pencils or watercolour pencils or small palette of watercolour paints) are optional, but fun. Please also bring your own paintbrush or aquabrush if using watercolour pencils or watercolour paints)
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Dress to be outdoors and bring a water bottle, insect repellent, sunscreen, and a folding chair or a mat to sit on.
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BYO drinks and snacks
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Try to keep your gear light and portable as we will be carrying it around during the workshop.
Facilitator: Dr Paula Peeters, Paperbark Writer
Bio: Dr Paula Peeters is an ecologist, artist and writer based in Beechmont, Qld, who combines these skills to teach the practice of nature journaling, and regularly collaborates with a range of organisations to bring nature journaling workshops and lessons to a diverse audience. Paula has been teaching nature journaling since 2016, and has written 3 books on nature journaling: Make a Date with Nature – An Introduction to Nature journaling (2016); Take this Book for a Walk: A step-by-step guide to nature journaling (2020) and A walk in the mountain forests: My nature journal of Binna Burra, Beechmont and beyond (2023). She is also the illustrator of five colouring books about threatened species and ecosystems. Paula’s website and blog www.paperbarkwriter.com (established in 2015) is archived annually by the State Library of Queensland.
Paula has collaborated with these groups and organisations to run nature journaling workshops:
Environmental groups: Bulimba Creek Catchment Committee; Paten Park Native Nursery; HOPE Toowoomba; Cubberla-Witton Catchment Group; Lamington Natural History Association; Barung Landcare; Beechmont Landcare; The Armidale Tree Group; Whian Whian Landcare; Keep Sandgate Beautiful Association; Lockyer Community Action Group; Environment Centre Northern Territory, Horsham Urban Landcare; Tasmanian Land Conservancy, Tamar Natural Resource Management Group.
Galleries: Gympie Regional Gallery; Caloundra Regional Gallery.
Gardens: Friends of the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens; Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens; Beechmont Community Garden.
Education sector: University of the Sunshine Coast; Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres (Qld); Barambah Environmental Education Centre; Columboola Environmental Education Centre; Googa Environmental Education Centre; Tasmanian Art Teachers Association.
Local government: Brisbane City Council; Redlands Indigiscapes Centre; Logan City Council; City of the Gold Coast.
State government: Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife.
Other groups and businesses: U3A Drawing group, Cleveland; Brisbane Bushwalkers; Ecological Society of Australia; Australian Association for Bush and Adventure Therapy; International Parktours; O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.
Events: Woodford Folk Festival; The Planting, Woodfordia; Botanica, Brisbane; Bushtime, Woodfordia; Five Senses Festival, Mount Tamborine.
Instagram: @paula.peeters
Twitter: @paperbark_
Redbubble store: PaperbarkW
Interdisciplinary Workshop: Translating Ecological Knowledge into Biodiversity-Positive Design and Management
Date: Tuesday 11th February 2025
Time: 1.30pm - 4.30pm
Location: Monash University Clayton Campus
Max participants: 25 people
Tickets: $40
Facilitators: Zoe Metherell
About the Workshop
We already have extensive knowledge in ecology and related fields that can inform biodiversity-positive design and management in Victoria and beyond. The challenge lies in translating this knowledge for effective practice. This interactive workshop will explore how we can achieve this using the "pattern-writing" method.
The workshop provides a unique opportunity for ecologists, researchers, and practitioners - including landscape architects, planners, and biodiversity managers -to come together in conversation and share knowledge for biodiversity-positive practices.
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Researchers: Learn a novel method to translate your findings into practical concepts that can impact biodiversity-positive design and management.
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Practitioners: Use patterns as a framework for unpacking current research, sharing your own practice-based experience, and building up a body of evidence-based concepts for biodiversity conservation, design, and management.
About the pattern- approach
Patterns are a form of written expression, first invented by architects in the 1960s for participatory knowledge-sharing, and later adopted in computing and other fields. Our workshop facilitator, Zoë Metherell, a landscape architect with a PhD in ecological design, developed a version of this method during her PhD research to foster interdisciplinary communication between scientists and designers. In collaboration with landscape architects and urban ecologists at the City of Melbourne, Zoë co-wrote 80 patterns for biodiversity-positive design in urban streets. These were collated in an Ecological Design Toolkit that was designed to support the implementation of the Council’s biodiversity strategy, Nature in the City. In this workshop, Zoë will share the tools and methods she developed through this process.
Workshop Details
The workshop will provide time and space for collaborative discussions and opportunities to trial the tools and methods. The aim is to develop a diversity of ideas and then draw them together to illustrate a positive vision for biodiversity regeneration. By the end of the workshop, you will have practical tools to translate current research and general principles of ecology into design and management solutions for biodiversity.
Please Join Us
This workshop is for anyone who loves engaging with ideas and imagining a positive future for biodiversity! It is open to all attendees of VicBioCon – no prior knowledge required. While Zoë originally developed pattern-writing for urban ecological design, the method itself has potential to be used to translate research to practice in many fields - from fire ecology to marine restoration. No matter what area you are currently working in, we hope researchers, students, and practitioners working in design and management will join us, as a diversity of voices and perspectives will enrich the experience for all.
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Before the workshop it will be helpful if you think of research findings or general ecological principles that you think could be applied to biodiversity-positive design or management. If you are a researcher, we invite you to bring along a recent paper or reflect on findings from your own work that you would like to see applied in practice. We will be using these ideas in our discussions.
Note however, it is also ok if you do not have any particular research findings or ideas before the workshop, as we will also provide materials for you to work with.
About the Facilitator: Dr Zoë Metherell is a practicing landscape architect and ecological designer with a PhD from the University of Melbourne. Her research explores how we can integrate scientific and design knowledge and apply this into biodiversity-positive design and management to restore degraded landscapes and create more liveable cities. See some of Zoë’s work on Instagram @zmenvironments.
