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Ocean Advocacy

Activity

Raise Awareness About a Marine Conservation Issue

Create a PSA for an ocean cause that you are passionate about and teach your family about it! This can be anything from the problem of microplastics and reef safe sunscreen to shark finning and the selling of coral/shells in beach shops. Everyone can make a positive difference for the ocean!

Science Seed

Here’s an example! Retired Houston Rocket’s basketball star, Yao Ming, has created global campaigns to tell people to “Say NO to Shark Fin Soup!” Shark fins are fished in cruel and wasteful ways and have destroyed shark poulations all over the world, which has harmed whole ocean ecosystems because sharks are very important to the health of the ocean. Yao Ming’s work reduced the demand for shark fins in China by 50-70% in only two years! Another example: Shells and coral for sale in souvenir stores are collected or blown up out of coral reefs using dynamite, which is an intensely damaging and unsustainable practice. Many stores sell man-made replicas now that look almost exactly like the real thing but don’t kill coral reef animals and ecosystems! Help your friends and family know to never purchase shells or coral.

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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).

Explore Billy Reagan K-8 Education Center

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.