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Track Ancient Creatures

Activity

Look for Fossilized Footprints and Recognize Animal Paths!

Look for marks in the ground that could be footprints. What types of soil would best preserve footprints, and how might paleontologists recognize the tracks of ancient creatures in the fossil record? Can you find any animal paths? Measure the size of tracks you find – how big was the animal that made them? Draw what you think the animal looked like!

Science Seed

In the ancient Rio Grande Valley, the land was very different. Creatures like giant ground sloths and Columbian mammoths once roamed the region, leaving tracks that were sometimes buried in mud or sand. Over time, those tracks became fossilized as sediment built up and hardened into rock. For instance, the mammoth’s footprint could have been as big as a pizza and would have been preserved if buried quickly. Tracks in mud or sand can leave impressions that might turn into fossils if they buried by layers of sediment.

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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.