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Trash Tracker

Activity

Measuring Your Waste

Carry a large trash bag with you everywhere you go for a day or a week and put every single piece of trash that you use in it. Weigh the bag at the end of the week to find out how much trash you created. Write about any effects that carrying your trash had on your choices/behavior by the end of the week. What did you learn from this experience?

Science Seed

The average American creates over 4 pounds of trash every single day. This works out to be over 254 million pounds of trash made by Americans alone every year! Not only is trash ugly to look at, but it also harms our environment and habitats, and transports chemicals and pollutants into the air we breathe and the water we drink. Try to be aware of what your favorite foods and products are wrapped in. Is it plastic? Consider writing to the company to ask for more sustainable and Earth friendly packaging!

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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.

This project was made possible by HEB.