Outdoor graphic recording

In the summer of 2024 I went with my partner to California and had the opportunity to offer my service to harvest a beautiful, full day of workshop held - in nature - by the Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network. The output was made up by many illustrations similar in style to these ones: a picture (taken by me) and the content digitally added in real time and delivered the following days. It was used in reports and newsletters.

The day was tough, but very enriching, mostly for me :-)

I got to learn from knowledgeable stewards of the land how the prairies looked like 300 years ago, and what efforts are made today to return them to the original state. We went to the burnt forests, we learned about what happened, how it happened, and what can we do to not let it happen again - or reduce the size of the fires. We looked at how the oceans is advancing into the land, and how a piece of the A1 freeway will have to be remade because of it. I did my work standing, walking and sitting down in the grass, risking to be attacked by ticks (which luckily didn’t happen).

Again last year, in 2024, I was in Spain and in Italy, with two outdoorsy and sustainability rooted workshops. One with sustainability consultancy Far & Sound, based in Spain, and European-based Climate Farmers.

Under sun and rain I was, with everyone else, trying not to get my papers wet. I often opt out for working with water colors when I am outside and I know I will be able to sit for at least one hour in the same spot. Some other times, I just follow the book with a notebook, I take notes and pictures, and then I assemble the graphic recording later in the day, to show it to them the morning after.

Considering I have a masters in Sustainability, working with sustainability people makes me not only happy but purposeful. It makes me feel I am serving the right people.