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Texas A&M Forest Service Nature Challenge
All Challenges
This list includes Anywhere Challenges, which are not location specific and can be completed at a time and place of your choosing.
Displaying - of 36 results.
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Over twenty pages of activities for kids all about Arbor Day. Great for a rainy day!
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Take pictures of Flat Smokey practicing safe campfire skills, and share on social media!
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Play Bingo by working, playing, and exploring around the house!
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Trees Care for Your Peace of Mind! Did you know that exposure to forests decreases mental fatigue by relaxing and restoring your mind as well as providing a sense of security? Visit healthytreeshealthylives.org to learn more!
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Learn about Careers in the Forest in this Activity Book from Southern Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. Explore the skills and vocabulary of Green Careers in Forestry!
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Sit somewhere in your nearby nature and listen to sounds. Identify them as natural or man made.
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Take a hike in nature using your 5 senses and see what observation you can make. (Only Taste if an EXPERT says so)
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Families can visit the state forest’s Environmental Education Center to check out a backpack loaded with nature investigation supplies. They’ll also receive a grade level appropriate activity book (K-2 or 3-5) containing hands-on learning experiences that the children will complete while taking a self-guided hike in the forest. Upon completion, each child will receive a prize! The Junior Forester program is FREE of charge and available from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are encouraged. Due to limited staffing, this program is not available on weekends.
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Looking for something fun AND educational to do with your kids while at Harbison State Forest? Consider participating in SC Forestry Commission’s Junior Forester program. Families can visit the state forest’s Environmental Education Center to check out a backpack loaded with nature investigation supplies. They’ll also receive a grade level appropriate activity book (K-2 or 3-5) containing hands-on learning experiences that the children will complete while taking a self-guided hike in the forest. Upon completion, each child will receive a prize! The Junior Forester program is FREE of charge and available from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are encouraged. Due to limited staffing, this program is not available on weekends.
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Geocaching is a great family-friendly activity for all ages to get outside and explore our beautiful forests. The purpose of this course is to educate the public about the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) and the importance of forestry in our state. There are seven individual geocaches hidden along the education trails at Harbison State Forest in Columbia, SC. Each cache contains information regarding the divisions and duties within the SCFC. There is an accompanying set of seven questions (1 for each cache) that can be completed and turned into the Education Center. If you answer all seven questions correctly, you will receive a Forest Life geocache coin!
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Become familiar with identifying local avifauna by observing what they do in the thornbursh.
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Learn about the different types of pollinators which work bring balance to our ecosystem!
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Explore South Texas Native Trees by learning what makes them unique!
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Take pictures of Flat Smokey practicing safe campfire fire and wildfire prevention skills, and share on social media!
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Learn and explore forest careers through the Careers in the Forest Activity Book created by the Southern Group of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. Complete short activities, coloring pages, and learn skills and vocabulary related to green careers in forestry!
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Did you know that most people can identify over 100 corporate logos before 8 years old, but don't know the names of the plants around them? Beat the odds by playing this game! Learn how to identify 29 urban plants (trees, shrubs/small trees, vines, wildflowers/forbs and grasses/grass-like plants) in your community in a scaffolded game. This activity is suited for individual, group or indoor/outdoor classroom learning use for any age. The plant images used were chosen to emphasize patterns that humans use to categorize plants and build skill in developing mental dichotomous keys to practice immediate visual recognition of common plant species.
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Explore your local outdoor green space or park and see what you may find when you explore, discover, connect, and grow with us through a fun scavenger hunt activity. This activity aids in one's ability to identify living and non-living things in addition to encouraging communication in hunting and identifying the items on the list.
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Start at the bottom and make it to the top without stopping! Slow and steady wins the race!
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Enjoy the full length of the Cameron park River Trail!
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In this challenge participants will explore a variety of Texas birds, describe the relationship between a bird’s anatomy, particularly its beak size and shape, and its feeding behavior and diet and compare beak structures and their corresponding functions.
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Archaeologists study artifacts and remains to learn about how people lived in the past. They use these finds to help determine information about how people interacted, what they did on a daily basis, and what they believed in earlier cultures and societies. Sometimes however, these artifacts only give small clues about the past. A paleontologist is a scientist who studies the history of organic life on earth, like dinosaurs, plants, fish, or even cell life whose remains have turned into fossils. Paleontologists have to understand geology and biology, as well as paleontology. They use historical geological maps and do research. Many fossils and artifacts can be found in our dig site. It is not unusual for our young archeologists and paleontologists to discover fossilized shells or bones of ancient creatures or artifacts left by Paleo Indians.
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Our eyes can detect subtle variations in brightness, determine the colors and relative temperatures of stars, and even track the motions of the Moon and planets. On a clear moonless night, more than a thousand stars are visible. You can also see five of our solar system's planets, star clusters, galaxies, and the occasional bright comet. Become a stargazer by looking up toward the night sky to see stars and identify constellations.
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Bioswales and rain gardens improve water quality by absorbing and filtering runoff through selected plants and soils. They are strategically located to intercept storm water runoff, often found along edges of parking areas and streets, mitigating potential pollution from entering our rivers and streams. Fischer Park has rain gardens at each of its main parking lots. Several rain gardens throughout an area are better than one. Below the surface of rain gardens, the selected plants and soils are hard at work cleaning the water. Once it is absorbed into the ground, sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the water are reduced by the combined actions of the plants, root systems and soils. Locate the rain gardens at each of Fischer Park's main parking lots and identify the special plants that were selected to filter storm water.
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The native vegetation around the edges of ponds and streams are important to dragonflies, providing shelter during poor weather and habitat for them to hunt and mate. Here, adult dragonflies will hunt for food and begin looking for a mate. Once the dragonfly finds a mate, the female finds a calm body of water that will be a good place to lay her eggs, and the life cycle of the dragonfly begins all over again. The banks of our ponds are being improved to encourage a native plant system that supports native insects, birds, amphibians, and mammals by providing food and shelter.
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Ferdinand Lindheimer is known as the "Father of Texas Botany" and is credited with the discovery of hundreds of plant species. It is estimated that he collected as many as 100,000 plant specimens during his lifetime. These plant specimens can be seen at the Smithsonian and at the Missouri Botanical Garden, among others. Many plant species today use Lindheimer's name as a designation in their scientific name. Identify plant species collected by Lindheimer and record your observations as he did noting the date, location, habitat, and general characteristics.
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Invasive plants are not native to an environment or ecosystem and also cause harm when introduced. When an invasive plant is introduced, whole ecosystems change drastically. Invasive plants compete with native plants for sunlight, moisture, nutrients, and space. They also grow quickly, and often aggressively, smothering and choking out native species. As a result, native plant species diet out, plant diversity decreases, habitat and ecosystem quality degrades, and wildlife decreases. Many invasive plants are introduced into environments accidentally. Some are imported with landscape and nursery stock, fruits and vegetables, and other goods and materials. Because invasive plants often produce large quantities of seeds, they can be spread by birds and other animals, and even the wind. Sometimes, even humans can spread invasive plants when they aren't aware or don't realize the dangers. Help prevent the spread of invasive species in Texas by shopping for native plants and reporting sightings of invasive plants.
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Fischer Park provides a rich and diverse habitat for many species of birds. In addition to common backyard birds, several birds that are unusual for the habitat and climate in this part of Texas have been observed here. This makes Fischer Park a valuable area for nesting birds and an important resting spot for migrating birds. Keep your eyes open as you walk around and listen for songbirds.
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Animals offer many clues about their whereabouts besides paw prints. If you look closely, you may find scat (animal waste), owl pellets, fur, feathers, nests, skulls and bones, trail and chew marks on pecans, acorns and other things that an animal has left behind. • Can you see where male deer have rubbed their antlers on young trees? • Do you hear any birds or squirrels rustling in the leaves? • Can you smell the hollow tree where the raccoon sleeps?
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The ponds at Fischer Park provide a clean and healthy environment with plenty of food, shelter, and hiding places, ideal for wild pond turtles. In order to keep their temperature between 75 and 90 degrees, turtles move around throughout the day. You may see them settled on logs or rocks to warm up from the sun or sliding into the water to cool off.
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Watch dragonflies at the preserve and notice a few things about them
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Bring a notebook and visit the preserve, then draw and write about what you notice
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What's a Raccoon's favorite sport? Dumpster-Diving! Join us for one of four identical sessions to learn about our forest friends, Raccoons and Ringtails! We’ll find out how they live and what makes them special. Then we'll take a nature walk, complete a craft to take home and read a story. Registration required: please visit www.philhardbergerpark.org/growing-up-wild for more information.
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Come explore and celebrate a collection of Rocks and Fossils from central Texas as we host a special exhibition for two weeks! This special exhibition was collected and curated by Mr. Jesus Zamora. Born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mr. Zamora admired and collected seashells on the beach as a child. On a hike as an adult, a chance discovery of a fossil within a rock reignited his curiosity. When he moved to San Antonio and explored the creeks, he began to use his knowledge as an engineer and geology enthusiast to learn more about the fossils of the greater San Antonio and Hill Country area. Join us for our opening celebration on 1/4 at which Mr. Zamora will provide a special presentation talking about his collection and it's fascinating story at 11am. Light refreshments provided. This Exhibition will be on display in our Urban Ecology Center's Gathering Hall starting on Saturday January 4th and be accessible through Saturday, January 18th. For open viewing hours and related activities, please see our full calendar and slate of programs. https://www.philhardbergerpark.org/calendar-events/san-antonian-rock-amp-fossil-collection
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What makes more noise than a DINOSAUR? -Two Dinosaurs!- Stop by our Greeter's tables from 9am to 11am to pick up a Grab-N-Go kit filled with activities to help you explore the park. This month we'll look at Native Texas Dinosaurs and Paleontology - the study of prehistoric life! This kit contains information about plants and animals that lived in our area millions of years ago. The kit also includes a fun themed activity to make, and a yummy nature-themed snack idea!! For children aged 3 and up, Drop-in program, supplies limited to first 30.
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Join Ms Wendy and Ms Mobi with Puppet Friends between 10am-11am, to learn about rocks, soil and worms--the farmer's helpers! We'll read books and sing songs about rocks and worms, and even meet a few of nature's gardeners, while Ms. Mobi introduces us to Rocky and Agatha!
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Join our friend BK Bones as she brings a bit of the prehistoric to us here at Phil Hardberger Park! You might call the Lone Star State the “Bone Star State” after this presentation! Take a peek into prehistoric Texas, where some amazing dinosaurs roamed the wilds, possibly in your very own community! BK Bones, aka Bethany Burke, has always loved all things prehistoric. She graduated from Southwestern University and has experience working with children in a variety of formats. She brings experience from working at the Montana Dinosaur Center and the Texas Through Time Fossil Museum to share, specializing in marine reptiles and “paleopathology”. https://bkbones.com/about-bk-bones/
