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rainwater cistern observations

Activity

Rain Water Harvesting

Visit the rainwater cistern and make observations about its design, size, location and any other features you may notice. The rainwater cistern collects the rain from the roof over the outdoor kitchen and garden shed. Visit your school while it’s raining to see the rain water harvesting in action!

Science Seed

Even though the Earth is covered in 70% of water, only less than 3% is fresh water. Rainwater harvesting is an important part of climate change adaptation. As climate change leads to more droughts, and unpredictable rainfall patterns, collecting and storing rainwater becomes more important. By capturing rainwater from roofs and surfaces, and directing it into containers like barrels or tanks, communities can establish a reliable water source.

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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 Travis Elementary

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.

SPARK’s mission is to work with public schools to develop their playgrounds into community parks. SPARK has built 200+ community parks in 17 different school districts throughout the Houston area. Each park is designed based on ideas and needs of the school and surrounding neighborhoods. While all of the parks are different, a typical park consists of modular playground equipment, a walking trail, benches, picnic tables, trees, an outdoor classroom, and a public art component.