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Nature’s Recyclers at Work

Activity

Meet the Decomposers

Search for signs of nature’s recyclers in action! Look under fallen tree bark or decaying leaves for beetles, ants, fungi, or other decomposers. Use your detective skills to spot clues of their work: tiny bite marks on leaves, tunnels in wood, piles of chewed-up material, or mushrooms breaking through the soil. Get up close and notice the textures, smells, or changes in color that show decomposition is happening. What do these decomposers do for the soil? Look around—are there healthy plants nearby? They might be getting nutrients from these hardworking recyclers!

Science Seed

Decomposers play a critical role in the Rio Grande Valley ecosystem. Around Palmer Elementary, beetles and ants can be found breaking down mesquite pods, while fungi grow on decaying Texas ebony leaves. These decomposers recycle nutrients, returning them to the soil to nourish native plants like huisache and prickly pear cactus. Mesquite trees, in turn, create shade and drop pods that provide food for animals like coyotes and javelinas, completing the nutrient cycle. Without decomposers, too much organic matter would build up, and the ecosystem wouldn’t be balanced.

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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 Geraldine Palmer Elementary

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.