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Impervious vs. Pervious Surfaces

Activity

Why Ground Cover Matters

Learn about the difference between impervious and pervious cover by exploring the walkways and grounds of a local park or your school. How many different types of ground cover can you find?

Science Seed

Impervious cover is a human-made surface that does not absorb rainfall and water, like concrete. During a rainfall, water naturally soaks into the Earth and fills our streams, but when most of the ground is impervious cover (like streets, driveways, buildings, and sidewalks), the water instead rushes across the landscape, which can lead to flash flooding, pollution and overheating. Pervious cover on the other hand, allows rainwater to slow down and absorb, draining down and through the landscape to replenish groundwater. Some types of pervious cover are gardens, native plant cover, grass, and permeable pavement.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

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join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.