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Path of Water

Activity

How the Bayous were Made

Go to the top of Kinder Land Bridge where there is a lot of sandy soil (not on a manicured lawn). With your finger or a stick, trace the start of a pathway for water. Pour a small amount of water on your pathway and notice how the water creates its own continuing path through the soft sandy soil. This is how water carved the bayous of Houston to get to the Gulf of Mexico!

Science Seed

Memorial Park is located within the Buffalo Bayou watershed, which collects rainfall and runoff and drains into the bayou. This watershed eventually flows into the Houston Ship Channel, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico. A watershed is an area of land where water naturally collects and drains to one point. Watersheds are important because they act like natural filters and storage containers for our water. They collect rain and snowmelt, which then flow into rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, providing us with clean water for drinking, watering crops, recreation, and protecting us from flooding. Watersheds also support diverse ecosystems, from forests to wetlands, which are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species!

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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