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Nut Search

Activity

Squirrel Away Some Nuts

Imagine you are a squirrel who is preparing a food supply for winter. Go on a search for some “nuts” to store away! Use pecans you find around campus or a few small rocks that are roughly the size of a pecan or smaller. Then, hide or bury your rocks in various locations as a squirrel would with its nuts. Wait a week of “winter” before returning to the location to try and find where you hid the rocks. Did you forget where some of them were?
A brown and grey squirrel sitting on a tree stump
grey squirrel burying food in the ground
two children digging the ground in the forest with small sticks

Science Seed

Mammals like squirrels play a big role in helping plants grow. One important way they do this is by spreading seeds. Squirrels collect nuts and seeds and bury them as food for later. Sometimes, they forget where they buried these seeds, which allows the seeds to sprout and grow into new plants. Mammals also help with seed spreading by eating fruits or seeds and then passing them through their bodies. When they excrete the seeds, they are deposited in new locations. This helps the seeds get into the ground where they can start growing into new plants.
botany jar illustration

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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 Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Ecologist School Pocket Guide: TSBVI edition is a collaboration between Families in Nature and the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired as an effort to help our community learn more about the TSBVI campus, while getting outside into nature together! This booklet has 80 lessons across 16 different branches of science to help you play, learn, and volunteer on campus!

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.
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