Upper Valley Nature Journaling Group: Drawing Pinecones

Mayer Room. Join us for the Upper Valley Nature Journaling Group! This monthly program offers step-by-step instruction in botanical illustration and nature journaling, facilitated by Robin Rice Voigt and Rachel West. It meets on the third Thursday of the month. Media include watercolor and colored pencils. Materials will be supplied until attendees can acquire their own. Registration required (below). This ongoing program is co-sponsored by the Howe Library and the Hanover Conservancy. January: Pinecones are a tricky subject that Rachel and Robin will break down by helping you understand the Fibonacci sequence that underlies the structure. Line drawings will be provided. Materials needed: hot press watercolor paper, watercolor set, brush, small jar of water, small set of colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, eraser for colored pencils. Rachel West is an avid nature journaler who is rarely found without her sketchbook or journal—whether she's kayaking, camping, looking out the window, or walking around town. With a background in molecular biology, she brings a deep curiosity for living things to her practice, and finds immense joy in exploring the natural world through all of her senses. After rediscovering drawing and watercolors in 2021, Rachel expanded her practice through workshops with AVA Gallery, the Wild Wonder Foundation, Drawing from Nature (VINS), and the Cornell Lab. Words and description are also an important part of her practice. After she and Robin Rice Voigt met on a birding trip in Costa Rica, they were inspired to co-found the Upper Valley Nature Journaling Group in 2026. An Upper Valley resident since 1994, Rachel is still discovering new local trails, bogs, and wetlands. She truly appreciates the deeper perspective nature journaling brings, and is excited to share the practice with others.