FSAC Journal 2018
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This summer, visit at least four different nature centers and parks in the Rio Grande Valley and complete 12 nature challenges. Upon completion of the challenges and journal submission, your family name will be placed in a drawing for the opportunity to win fun prizes. The challenge is for families with children 18 and under. Families with children 18 and under are invited to join in on the RGV Family Summer Adventure Challenge (RGVFSAC) and spend all summer enjoying the outdoors. The Challenge is a chance to spend quality time together while visiting different nature centers and parks in the Rio Grande Valley and, upon completion of the challenges, an opportunity to win exciting prizes! Instructions: In this journal you will find 12 challenges to complete over the summer (May 26 - August 25, 2018). For your family to be included in the raffle you must complete at least 10 challenges at 4 or more RGV nature sites . Please refer to the back of the journal for a full site listing). This journal will help you and your family collect proof for each challenge. Teams can also submit journal entries and photos online at the Texas Nature Challenge (TNC) website or on the RGV Family Summer Adventure Challenge Facebook Group or with the #RGVFSAChallenge on your Facebook page. Only one journal per family will be accepted (online, printed, or combination of printed & online). However, families may include additional pages, write-ups, bonus pages and photos as desired. Along with your journal, registered teams also receive a laminated “FSAC” Team Sign, a Discount/Free entry pass to select nature sites and other goodies. Participation in the RGVFSAC is free, however some sites may charge program or entry fees. Please call sites prior to your visit for information on fees and schedules. Proof of Completion: We will require proof of completion for each challenge. Types of proof required include an employee signature or photo submission (printed, Facebook entry or TNC entry) of your family holding your “FSAC” Team Sign in front of the site’s entrance sign, landmark or building. Deadline: Turn in completed journals to your local participating nature center no later than 5 pm on Saturday August 25, 2018. On-line entries must also be completed on or before August 25. Journals / online entries can be submitted anytime prior to deadline. Family Information: Team Name:________________________________________________ Adult Names: ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Child Name & Age___________________________________ _____ Child Name & Age___________________________________ _____ Child Name & Age___________________________________ _____ Child Name & Age___________________________________ _____ Child Name & Age___________________________________ _____ Main (ADULT) Contact: ____________________________________ Telephone: _______________________________________________ Alt. Telephone: ___________________________________________ Email Address: ____________________________________________ Challenge 1: Nature Up Close Visit a nature center/park that loans binoculars or scopes. Using your camera, take a photo through the lens to capture a close-up look of an animal that is far away. Attach photos below (or Digiscoping is upload to Facebook or your TNC Blog). Alternatively, if you don’t the practice of taking digital have access to a camera, draw an image of an animal you see photos through the scope or binoculars. Please provide us with proof of through a your visit (signature or attached/uploaded photos*). spotting scope or binoculars. The subject is magnified for the camera, allowing for capture of a closer image than one can typically take with the cam- era alone. Learn more about digiscoping at https:// www.allaboutbi rds.org/basics- of- digiscoping/. Nature Center/Park: _________________________________________________________ Nature Center/Park Staff Person* Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________ * ALTERNATIVE: Take a photo of your group in front of the entrance sign, landmark or building holding up your “FSAC” Team Sign. Include print of photo or upload to Facebook or your Texas Nature Challenge blog, including team name, site and challenge #. Challenge 2: Morning / Afternoon Program Visit a nature center/park that hosts a morning or afternoon family program or activity. Attend one with your family. Describe your experience or what you learned below. Ask an employee to print, sign, and date this page. Why is the sky reddish- or- ange at sunrise and sunset? Tiny droplets in the atmos- phere cause light to change directions. This is called scattering. When the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight travels through more of the atmosphere. Shorter wavelength colors (blues and violets) get scattered out. Longer wavelength colors like yellow, orange, and red are what is left, so these are the colors we see. Nature Center/Park: _________________________________________________________ Nature Center/Park Staff Person Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________ Challenge 3: Live Animal Visit a nature center/park that houses and displays animals indoors. In the space below, list and describe (or draw) at least one live animal that you saw and learned new information about. Ask an employee to print, sign, and date this page. RIDDLES Why are Frogs so Happy? Because they Eat What Bugs Them. What do you get if you cross a Cen- tipede and a parrot? A Walkie- talkie Nature Center/Park: _________________________________________________________ Nature Center/Park Staff Person* Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________ Challenge 4: Water-based Activity Visit a nature center/park that provides a water-based activity or sports (ex: swimming, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, etc.). Participate in the activity with your family. Describe the experience below. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or The name attached/uploaded photos*). “Kayak” means “hunter’s boat” as kayaks were originally invented by the Inuit, Yup’Ik, and the Aleut for hunting. They were made of seal or other animal skin stretched over wood or whale bone. Kayaks are very quiet which made them ideal for sneaking up on prey. Nature Center/Park: _________________________________________________________ Nature Center/Park Staff Person* Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________ * ALTERNATIVE: Take a photo of your group in front of the entrance sign, landmark or building holding up your “FSAC” Team Sign. Include print of photo or upload to Facebook or your Texas Nature Challenge blog, including team name, site and challenge #. Challenge 5: Tree Senses Visit a nature center/park. Find a nice large tree to sit under in the shade. Sit still, close your eyes and listen quietly for five minutes. Describe what you heard, smelled or felt during the experience. Can trees talk? Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/ A growing body uploaded photos*). of research has shown that trees communicate and share resources with each other through an underground root and fungi network. This network can connect entire forests, helping trees share excess carbon with offspring and even other species. Trees can also send out defense signals against infestations or extreme weather events to boost the health of the network. Nature Center/Park: _________________________________________________________ Nature Center/Park Staff Person* Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________ * ALTERNATIVE: Take a photo of your group in front of the entrance sign, landmark or building holding up your “FSAC” Team Sign. Include print of photo or upload to Facebook or your Texas Nature Challenge blog, including team name, site and challenge #. Challenge 6: Birds & Butterflies Visit a nature center/park. Use a bird or butterfly field guide and/ or checklist. Identify the birds and/or butterflies with your family, and in the space below make a list of (or draw) four species you observed. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or Plant it and they will come... attached/uploaded photos*). Although butter- flies can drink nectar from many different types of plants, when it comes to laying their eggs, they can only lay them on a specific plant. This is to the benefit of both the butterfly and plant. When it emerges from the egg, the caterpillar does not have to compete with a lot of others for food, and the plant won’t get overeaten by caterpillars year round. Nature Center/Park: _________________________________________________________ Nature Center/Park Staff Person* Printed Name: _____________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________________________ * ALTERNATIVE: Take a photo of your