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Who Was Here?

Activity

Measuring and Mapping Animal Tracks

Look for marks in the ground that could be footprints. 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

Modern animals leave tracks in mud or soft soil, but most disappear with the next rain. However, sometimes tracks get buried quickly by sand or mud and are preserved. In Houston’s prehistoric past, tracks from ancient animals were preserved this way. Today, when you see deer tracks, raccoon prints, or bird footprints in Memorial Park, imagine similar tracks being made by Ice Age animals thousands of years ago. Giant ground sloths as tall as a house once walked here and their footprints were as big as dinner plates! Long ago, Columbian mammoths roamed here and their footprints were as big as a pizza! Giant armadillos, dug holes as big as a car! What would it take for these modern tracks to become fossils? Look for tracks in different types of soil – which ones leave the clearest prints?

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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