School of art & wellbeing | 4th to 7th July 2025

Nature Journaling
immersion Retreat

Have you been nature journaling a little while but looking to broaden and deepen your skills?
Looking to try out a wider range of artistic techniques and increase your UK species knowledge?
Want to slow down and settle into a deeper state of observation in nature?

How about an weekend away nature journaling a rural site in Devon, UK, together with a supportive group? Tuition by nature journaling educator and artist Alex Boon with mindfulness sessions led by meditation teacher Rachel Mann.

The location? The beautiful School of Art & Wellbeing, with an old cricket pavilion converted into a large, bright art studio, forest garden, walled vegetable garden, wildflower meadow, yurts, and polytunnel creative space.

Accommodation available onsite (to be booked separately).

Limited to 10 places

What can you expect?

FRIDAY 4TH JULY: ARRIVAL AND INTRODUCTION

Arrival from 5 PM. Transport from Honiton station (1 mile from the school) can be provided.

An evening meal of homegrown salad, soup, and local bread will be provided for this first night (included in the retreat price).

Get to know each other over a meal followed by an introduction session, a tour of the grounds, and time to settle in and relax.

SATURDAY 5TH JULY: ARTISTIC SKILLS DAY

Morning self-practice yoga or other mindful movement (unguided), followed by guided meditation with Rachel. This led mindfulness session is intended to help us to shift from our active, rational, thinking brains to our creative, inspired and open minds.
 

The majority of Saturday will be filled with nature journaling art skills sessions. These will include drawing, painting, and writing sessions with plenty of time to practice and work on your skills either in the pavilion art studio or out in the grounds. The focus will be on coloured pencil skills, mixed media techniques, incorporating nature into our pages through pressing and collage, and immersive writing in nature.

Saturday night – curry takeaway in the house, £15 budget included in retreat price. Menu available here.

 

SUNDAY 6TH JULY: NATURE JOURNALING ‘BIOBLITZ’

Morning self-practice yoga or other mindful movement (unguided), followed by another guided meditation with Rachel.

We will be embarking on a species ‘bioblitz’ of the School of Art & Wellbeing site.Using a whole host of gathering and sampling techniques, we will ‘blitz’ the site to see what nature is present. A range of identification techniques will be utilised, based on guidebooks, apps, and citizen science methods. As a group, we will build a picture of the nature present on site and record it in our nature journals. Some local amateur nature experts may be joining us for this day to help us with identification and join the fun.

No provided food option for Sunday night. If you are staying for the walk, please bring something to cook (kitchen available in the pavilion) or share, or eat offsite if preferred.

MONDAY 7TH JULY: NATURE JOURNALING ON THE COAST PATH (OPTIONAL FINAL DAY)

For those who choose to stay with us until Monday, there will be the chance to join Alex for a guided nature journaling field skills session at Goat Island in the Undercliffs National Nature Reserve. We will be focusing our attention in this one particular area and taking along some art materials for a thoroughly immersive outdoor experience. This day is optional and is included in the retreat price.

PLEASE NOTE that this will be a full day outside without facilities and will include a 3 mile walk with a few steep inclines. Please ensure you are sufficiently mobile for this. Transport to Seaton in the morning and back to School of Art & Wellbeing from Lyme Regis in the evening will be provided.

Your questions answered

Do I need to have any experience?

Yes, this retreat is intended for those who have already done some nature journaling. You might have attended a retreat last year, a few workshops, be a member of the Nature Journaling Circle and/or completed and practiced the How to Start a Nature Journal course. You might be someone who has already been nature journaling on your own or with another tutor. All you need is to already have some form of nature journaling practice.

What will I need?

Bring comfortable clothing for meditation and movement, outdoor clothing suited to the weather forecast and suitable footwear (hiking boots recommended) if you are coming on the Undercliffs walk. Ticks are present in the Undercliffs, so breathable long trousers and tops are recommended. All art materials and sketchbooks are provided although you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.

What about food?

We are keeping this retreat simple and encouraging community cooking. The first meal (Friday night) is included for all retreatants. Saturday night – we will be sharing a curry takeaway in the house, £15 budget included in retreat price. Menu available here. Breakfast is available in the house for £7 per day or you can bring your own. Please bring packed lunches or food to prepare onsite. The Pavilion has a full kitchen, although lunch breaks may not be long so cold food options are recommended. Additional food products can be purchased from Tesco (2 miles) or Honiton Town Centre (1.5 miles) or brought with you (we have a fridge and freezer!)  For those who would like to eat out, there are many great restaurant and pub options in our part of East Devon and recommendations will be sent out ahead of the retreat.

I don’t have a car or am international, what about transport?

We will help! Transport to and from Honiton train station will be provided free of charge. We will also transport walkers to Seaton for the Undercliffs day and pick them up from Lyme Regis to return to School of Art & Wellbeing after the day. The outdoor day should be finished by 5PM on Monday 7th, though we don’t recommend a train time from Honiton earlier than 7, and a further night of accommodation is encouraged.

Tell me about the on-site accommodation options?

On-site accomodation is available, which should be booked directly with the School of Art & Wellbeing. The options comprise B&B in the house, glamping options and camping. Prices range from £80 (single occupancy) in the house to £10 a night for camping. Camper vans and motorhomes are welcome at the camping price. Facilities are available in the pavilion.

Any other questions? Email me via alex@alexboonart.com and I will do my best to help you.

About the tutors

Alex Boon

Alex Boon is an artist and nature journaling educator from East Devon, UK. He achieved a PhD in environmental science before working in postdoctoral research and scientific communication roles. Alex left academia, moved to the rural West Country, and started his first nature journal in 2016. 

He now teaches both online and in person workshops and courses and is active on YouTube and Instagram. His focus is making nature journaling encouraging and welcoming for anybody who wants to try it, an ethos he maintains in his Nature Journaling Circle online school and community.

Rachel Mann

Rachel is the founder of Devon and Dorset Meditation, which she set up with the simple aim of creating and supporting a community of people who would like to learn and practice meditation, bringing her skills and teaching to the local area around the Devon, Dorset and Somerset borders.

Meditation is a state of being. It allows us to rest in our true nature, to disregard all other distractions and so find a place of profound stillness in our bodies, thoughts and feelings – releasing and removing limiting assumptions that hold us back in areas of our life such as our creativity.

Book your place now

Looking forward to seeing you for a relaxing, creative weekend in East Devon this summer. You have the option of paying the full amount now or the deposit only. Please be aware that accommodation is to be booked separately as needed, via the link above, with our host Mary-Ann Wilmot.

Please note: Payment for the retreat is by either full amount including deposit or deposit only. the £100 deposit is non-refundable. if there is a major reason you cannot join us, email me and the £100 will be offered as credit for a future course or retreat. in the event of cancellation our side, a full refund will be offered or transfer to a future event. thank you!

Payment Option

Full amount – £295 (includes non-refundable £100 deposit), Pay deposit of £100 (£195 balance to be paid later)

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