"I remember life through the gardens I've met."

~Kathleen Donchak

By "gardens," I mean any encounter with the natural world that has shaped my story.

The walk up to the back of the row house from the rear alley felt like a walk into a holy space. Even my young mind felt the difference, walking in silence behind my mother along paths where saints stood vigil."Were there roses?", I asked my mother years later.
"Yes, I think so, but how do you remember that place? You were so young when we visited."The answer was simple. I remember my life through the gardens I've met.From Wyoming mountains to Pacific Northwest forests, nature has been my mirror and teacher. Each encounter—whether with a doe at dawn or moss-covered trees creating a living cathedral—has become a threshold in my story, helping me navigate my naturally nonlinear mind through seasonal shifts.These connections aren't just memories—they're entrance meditations into deeper awareness, each taking its own natural form in my writing. Together, they create a language uniquely my own—discovered through relationship rather than invented through technique.

Sunday Letters

Each week, I share a nature memoir letter—a reflection weaving past and present encounters with the natural world. These letters emerge from my open field journal practice, where fragments of observation, memory, and insight gradually reveal their own meaning.Born from my doctoral research in applied ecopsychology and years of writing within a community of nature-connected writers, these letters demonstrate how developing your unique language of nature connection can illuminate your path during times of change. Each letter offers an entrance meditation—a threshold into deeper relationship with both inner and outer landscapes.Through these seasonal explorations, I invite you to discover which writings naturally serve as doorways into your own nature connection practice, creating space for your unique voice to emerge.

I respect your time and inbox. Each letter is a complete experience designed to be read when it feels right for you.

Field Notes: Natural Forms

As I continue to develop my nature memoir practice, I've begun to recognize distinct forms emerging in my writing—not imposed structures, but organic patterns that reflect different ways of encountering the natural world.These natural forms emerge when we allow our writing to follow the contours of our actual experience, rather than forcing it into conventional structures. Just as ecosystems contain diverse species serving different functions, our nature-connected writing naturally develops various forms that each capture different aspects of our relationship with the more-than-human world.Among the forms I'm currently exploring:

  • Threshold Fragments capture moments of crossing between worlds—when physical thresholds mirror inner transitions.

  • Attention Sonnets sustain focus on a single natural element, allowing it to unfold its deeper meaning through relationship.

  • Seasonal Turnings engage with natural cycles as metaphors for internal changes.

In my Process Journal, I'm documenting these forms as I discover them—not as techniques to master but as patterns to recognize. By identifying these natural forms in both our reading and writing, we develop a richer vocabulary for understanding our unique language of nature connection.I'll be sharing more about natural forms through Sunday Letters and developing a field guide that helps readers recognize these patterns in their own practice.

The Open Field Journal Practice

My journal has become a living field where everything is welcome—the mundane lists alongside moments of wonder. In these pages, to-do reminders coexist with the breathtaking discovery of a newborn fawn in our yard, because this is how life actually unfolds: not in neat categories, but in rich, overlapping layers of experience.I discovered this practice through my doctoral research in nature-connected journal therapy. Unlike structured journaling methods that impose order from the outside, this approach honors the organic way our attention moves through the world—following attractions, noticing patterns, and capturing fleeting moments of connection.Nature speaks to those who listen, offering a language beyond linear analysis. When we capture these encounters on the page, we create entrance meditations—thresholds into deeper awareness that we can revisit and explore. What at first appears random—fragments of observation, sensory impressions, passing thoughts—gradually reveals patterns when viewed through seasonal cycles.Through my nature memoir Sunday Letters, I share glimpses of this open field practice and the natural forms that emerge within it. Each letter serves as both model and invitation, showing how nature connection can be woven into daily life and reflected on the page.

About Nature Memoir

Nature-connected memoir writing weaves together literary nature observation, reflective awareness, wellbeing principles, and creative expression to create thresholds for readers to develop their own unique language of nature connection. This practice serves both the preservation of nature and self—fostering ecological awareness while supporting mental wellbeing through the development of a personal relationship with the natural world.

Natured Path Press explores the relationship between nature-connected writing and wellbeing, helping readers discover which poems, essays, and stories naturally serve as "entrance meditations" for their own journey.Rather than focusing on specific authors or approaches, we create resources that support readers in developing their own nature connection practice, discovering their unique language of nature connection, and transforming their relationship with nature writings from appreciation to active engagement.

Forthcoming in 2025

The Open Field: Discovering Your Natural Forms in Nature-Connected Writing

This book explores how developing your unique language of nature connection can illuminate your path during times of change. Drawing from doctoral research in applied ecopsychology and years of nature-connected writing practice, it introduces seven natural forms that emerge when we allow our writing to follow the contours of our actual experience.Join the Sunday Letter to be notified when pre-orders open and to receive exclusive excerpts and companion materials.