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Flora of Harris County

Activity

Exploring Native Plants

Memorial Park is full of beautiful native plants. As you wander the Park, see how many you can find. Bonus points if you can find some of the rare plants of Harris County! (scavenger hunt with photos)

Science Seed

Memorial Park is a vibrant showcase of native plants, each supporting Houston’s ecosystem. On land, colorful plants like Turk’s cap, black-eyed Susan, and Gulf muhly attract pollinators and beautify the landscape, while rare species like the sanguine coneflower and rough blazing star add unique diversity. In wetlands, aquatic plants such as common rush, swamp lily, Texas spider lily, swamp milkweed, water hyssop and lizard’s tail create habitats for frogs, young fish, and wading birds. These plants help stabilize soil, improve water quality, and support a rich web of life, inspiring visitors to plant natives at home.

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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 the Memorial Park Conservancy

The mission of Memorial Park Conservancy is to preserve, restore, and enhance Memorial Park for the enjoyment of all Houstonians, today and tomorrow.

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