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Spot the Vibrant Green Jay

Activity

How Does It Blend In?

Spot a Green Jay! Look closely at the trees and shrubs around your school—can you find any bright flashes of green, blue, and black? How does the Green Jay use its vibrant colors to blend into the environment, and what might that tell you about where it lives? If you were a bird what colors would you be and why? Design your bird!

Science Seed

Green Jays are brightly colored birds known for their green, blue, and black feathers, and they are adapted to living in the brushy woodlands and shrubs of the Rio Grande Valley. These birds thrive in areas with plenty of cover and food, such as trees that offer fruit, insects, and seeds. Green Jays are also social birds, often found in small groups called “flocks,” and use loud calls to communicate with each other. Their ability to navigate dense vegetation helps them find shelter from predators and locate food, while their colorful feathers help them blend in with the vibrant environment around them.

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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.