Artist Nolan Benzing | Pretty Bird Hardcover Journal

$19.95
The Ring-Necked Pheasant arrived in Iowa in the early 1900s and quickly found a home in its grasslands and fields. These striking birds have faced habitat loss over the years but remain one of Iowa's most beloved game birds. Nolan and his GSP, Kestrel, spent countless mornings chasing them — through rainy dawns, cold fields, and one memorable run-in with a porcupine that landed Kestrel in the vet with a nose full of quills. This journal is lovingly dedicated to Kestrel, who now chases pheasants freely from above. If you love the wild and its feathered inhabitants, this is your journal. Nolan Benzing is an Iowa-raised conservation specialist, wildlife ecologist, and visual artist whose life has been shaped by a deep, abiding reverence for the natural world — and an unwavering commitment to protecting it. The middle child of a large family that included triplet brothers, Nolan learned early what it means to lead with integrity, show up with accountability, and stand firm in what matters. After earning his degree in Animal and Wildlife Ecology from Iowa State University, Nolan spent years working with landowners, farmers, and ranchers across Iowa and South Dakota to design and implement conservation programs that balanced operational success with meaningful environmental stewardship. For nearly a decade, he has continued that work as a landscape designer, conservation community specialist, and land development field operations manager — a subject matter expert in native prairie restoration, wildlife ecology, and natural ecosystems. But perhaps Nolan's most profound gift lives in his art. Through painting, drawing, and graphic design, he renders the landscapes, wildlife, and creatures he has spent a lifetime protecting — bringing the prairie, the woodland, and the wild into spaces where people can carry a piece of it with them every day. "Goodness is something hard to measure but easy to feel. From the minute I met Nolan, I knew he was a gem." — Kate Shu Each journal features 80 lined, cream-colored pages, a ribbon page marker, built-in elastic closure, and an expandable inner pocket — perfect for everything from nature notes to heartfelt letters. Printed on an UltraHyde hardcover (5.5" × 8.5"), it's as durable as it is beautiful.
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The Ring-Necked Pheasant arrived in Iowa in the early 1900s and quickly found a home in its grasslands and fields. These striking birds have faced habitat loss over the years but remain one of Iowa's most beloved game birds. Nolan and his GSP, Kestrel, spent countless mornings chasing them — through rainy dawns, cold fields, and one memorable run-in with a porcupine that landed Kestrel in the vet with a nose full of quills. This journal is lovingly dedicated to Kestrel, who now chases pheasants freely from above. If you love the wild and its feathered inhabitants, this is your journal. Nolan Benzing is an Iowa-raised conservation specialist, wildlife ecologist, and visual artist whose life has been shaped by a deep, abiding reverence for the natural world — and an unwavering commitment to protecting it. The middle child of a large family that included triplet brothers, Nolan learned early what it means to lead with integrity, show up with accountability, and stand firm in what matters. After earning his degree in Animal and Wildlife Ecology from Iowa State University, Nolan spent years working with landowners, farmers, and ranchers across Iowa and South Dakota to design and implement conservation programs that balanced operational success with meaningful environmental stewardship. For nearly a decade, he has continued that work as a landscape designer, conservation community specialist, and land development field operations manager — a subject matter expert in native prairie restoration, wildlife ecology, and natural ecosystems. But perhaps Nolan's most profound gift lives in his art. Through painting, drawing, and graphic design, he renders the landscapes, wildlife, and creatures he has spent a lifetime protecting — bringing the prairie, the woodland, and the wild into spaces where people can carry a piece of it with them every day. "Goodness is something hard to measure but easy to feel. From the minute I met Nolan, I knew he was a gem." — Kate Shu Each journal features 80 lined, cream-colored pages, a ribbon page marker, built-in elastic closure, and an expandable inner pocket — perfect for everything from nature notes to heartfelt letters. Printed on an UltraHyde hardcover (5.5" × 8.5"), it's as durable as it is beautiful.