Join Jessica Ramey for Nature Journaling!
PVAS Host: Jessica Ramey
This is a free/donation-based program. All ages are welcome, though youth must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required and limited to 12 participants.
PVMN Continuing Education Credit Eligible
Tune in to birdsong, flight, and nesting behavior. Journal movement, sound, and the lively energy of the avian world in full spring bloom.
The session will take place at Cool Spring Preserve, a 74-acre landscape of forest, meadow, and marsh in southern Jefferson County. Bullskin Run, a stream with historical significance, borders the preserve. Cool Spring is also a designated birding hotspot—an ideal setting to pause, observe, and create. In 2024, we expanded the preserve by 11 additional acres to help protect the sensitive Bullskin Run and Marl Marsh, in partnership with the West Virginia Land Trust.
- Walking Distance: Approximately 1 mile
- Pace/Activities: Leisurely (meandering, many breaks to stop and observe)
- Exposure: Partial shade. Some areas of full sun.
- Terrain: Mowed grass/earthen trail Gentle slopes/rolling hills
- Restroom: There is a port-o-pot onsite
- Parking/Where to Meet: Participants should meet behind the Nature Center on the back patio.
- What to Bring: Come with your nature journal supplies, a chair (if you’d like), water, and an open mind to trying new materials and techniques!
Registration will remain open until the start of the program.
If the required minimum # of people do not register by 4 pm the evening prior, the program will be cancelled.
Read our pricing structure & policies.
About our Host: Jessica lives in Martinsburg, WV and is a middle school science and special education teacher with a passion for helping others connect with the natural world. Her journey into nature journaling began after attending the Hog Island Audubon Society summer camp for educators, sponsored by PVAS. Since then, she has embraced journaling as a way to slow down and deepen her connection to nature. She leads a nature journaling club at her school and is currently a Master Naturalist candidate through PVAS. Jessica is excited to lead this program and hopes participants of all ages—regardless of artistic ability—will discover the joy of observing and documenting the natural world through words, drawings, and personal reflections.