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Bug’s Eye View

Activity

Biodiversity Up Close

Lie down on your belly and imagine you are the size of an insect, crawling through the grass. As you look around, take note of how many different plants, insects, and other creatures you can spot. Can you see ants marching, spiders spinning webs, or even tiny flowers and leaves of different patterns and shapes? Record your observations—how many different species did you see? How are they interacting with their environment?

Science Seed

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular area, including plants, animals, fungi, insects and more. In nature, every living thing plays an important role in the ecosystem. Diversity helps keep everything balanced and adaptable. Scientists use sampling methods, like marking off a square meter of prairie, forest, or coral reef to observe a specific area of an ecosystem or collecting small samples. These methods help them count species and understand how they interact, and can be extrapolated to measure biodiversity. Biodiversity is a critical component of a healthy ecosystem. By exploring nature closely, like during your micro hike, you are practicing an easy form of scientific sampling, observing the richness of life around you. How much biodiversity did you observe? Do you think this ecosystem is healthy?

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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