FSAC journal 2017 - breakout · 2017-05-18 · may be listening to the sounds of the Giant Cicada or Chicharra Grande in Spanish. Although there are over 40 species of Cicadas in

Team Name: _______________________

This summer, visit at least four different nature centers and parks in the Rio Grande Valley and complete 10-12 nature challenges. Upon completion of the challenges and journal submission, your family name will be placed in a drawing for the opportunity to win cool

prizes. The challenge is for families with children ages 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 cool prizes!

Instructions: In this journal you will find 12 challenges to complete over the summer (May 27 - August 26, 2017). For your family to be included in the raffle you must

complete at least 10 challenges from at least 4 different RGV nature sites . For a full site listing, refer to the site list at the back of the journal).

This journal will help you and your family collect proof for each site/challenge. Teams can also submit journal entries and photos online at the Texas Nature Challenge

website. Only one journal per family will be accepted (online, printed, or combination of printed & online). However, families may include additional pages, write-ups and

photos, as desired.

Each Team is asked to register by calling (956) 381-9922. Registered Teams will 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

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 (preferred) or printed/emailed photo of your family holding your “FSAC” Team Sign in front of the site’s entrance sign. Team

Photos can be emailed to [email protected]. In the email, please include the Team name, activity date, site location and challenge number, so that we can credit you

properly.

Deadline: Turn in completed journals to your local participating nature center no later than 5 pm on Saturday August 26, 2017. On-line entries must also be completed on or before August 26. 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: _____________________________________________________________

Don’t forget to register your team BEFORE you begin at (956) 381-9922.

Challenge 1

Visit a nature center/park that loans out binoculars or bring your own. While you are there, take a walk through the grounds and identify four birds that you see or hear. List (or draw) them below. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).

More than 500 bird species have been seen in the RGV. That is more than half of all bird species found in the entire U.S. In 2016, the newest species seen in the RGV was the Variegated Flycatcher. At #529, this South American resident overshot its wintering range in Brazil, and landed in Texas for the first time, landing at South Padre Is-land.

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 holding up your “FSAC” Team Sign. Include print of photo or email to [email protected].

Challenge 2

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.

chic-chic-chic-chic-zwEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... Do you hear that loud buzzing? You may be listening to the sounds of the Giant Cicada or Chicharra Grande in Spanish. Although there are over 40 species of Cicadas in Texas, this one is known for its unusual long and loud sound, produced by vibrating special structures (tymbals) on its abdomen.


Nature Center/Park Staff Person

Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

Challenge 3

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 about. Ask an employee to print, sign, and date this page. RIDDLES

What was the Tortoise Doing on the Highway?

About 100 millimeters per hour

Why are Snakes hard to fool?

You can’t pull their leg



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

Challenge 4

Visit a nature center/park that provides a water-based activity (ex: swimming, kayaking, fishing, tubing, etc.). Participate in the activity with your family. Describe your experience below. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).

In State Parks across Texas, fishing, where allowed, is free within park boundaries (no license or special stamp required). One such park is Bentsen RGV State Park and World Birding Center. Here, anglers often seek out the Alligator Gar or “catan” which can reach lengths of over 7 feet and weigh over 300 pounds. With 3 rows of teeth and scaly armor, this fish appears scary, but it is harmless.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 5

Visit a nature center/park. Using a field guide, identify at least four different plants or trees with your family. List and describe (or draw) them below. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*). RIDDLES

What did the big flower say to the little flower? Hey Bud What did the little tree say to the big tree? Leaf me alone!



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 6

Visit a nature center/park. Use a butterfly field guide and/or checklist. Identify 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 attached/emailed photos*).

Plant it and they will come... Although butterflies 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.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 7

Visit a nature center/park that hosts nature walks or take a self-guided walk with your family. Use a field guide to help you identify the insects (other than butterflies) you see. In the space below draw an insect and identify it. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).

Over 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, Starr County and the area around Falcon State Park was part of the shoreline of an ancient inland sea. Today, there is evidence of petrified trees, sea life and oyster beds in and around the area.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 8

Visit a nature center/park that provides outdoor family picnic areas. Have an outdoor family picnic and in the space below, write a poem or a story about your experience. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).

Squirrels are cute and fun to watch, but did you know that tree squirrels are not native to the RGV and can cause harm to local wildlife? Our true native squirrels are excavating ground squirrels like the Mexican Ground Squirrel. Living in burrows in mesquite or cactus flats, one can frequently see them in grassy parks, pastures and along the highway.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 9

Visit a nature center/park that hosts an evening or night program or activity. Attend one with your family. Describe (or draw) your experience below. Ask an employee to print, sign, and date this page.

One cool resident of the RGV is the Striped Bark Scorpion. During the day, they camouflage well and are hard to see, but at night take a UV light to the bark of the mesquite tree, and you might find one of these glowing in the dark. The Striped Bark Scorpion is one of many bioluminescent organisms in the world, and is an easy critter to see at night in the RGV.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

The RGV is home to a number of threatened and endangered species, including the Mexican Treefrog. Found only in the very tip of Texas within the U.S., this small frog is nocturnal becoming most active after rainstorms. Sabal Palm Sanctuary is one place where it lives. It can be found near wetlands, resacas and riverbanks. During the heat of the day, it takes shelter under tree bark or damp soil.

Challenge 10

Visit a nature center/park. Take a tour of their grounds with your family in search of reptiles and/or mammals. Use field guides to help you identify the wildlife observed. In the space below, list the types of reptiles and mammals you observed with your family. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 11

Visit a nature center/park that allows bike riding. Visit the park with your family and take your own or rent them from the park and ride the trails. Describe (or draw) the experience you had with your family. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).

The TRUE Chupacabra Part of the Nightjar family, the Common Pauraque is a nocturnal bird found hunting along trails and roadsides looking for insects. Like other Nightjars, they have large heads, tiny beaks and wide gaping mouths. This strange feature led ancient civilizations to believe that Night-jars were stealing milk from their goats, which is how they got the name “Goatsuckers”.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


Challenge 12

Visit a nature center/park with wildlife friendly water features throughout the site. At one of the water features, sit still, close your eyes and listen quietly for five minutes. Describe what you heard, smelled or felt during the experience. Please provide us with proof of your visit (signature or attached/emailed photos*).

Padre Island was once considered the longest barrier Island in the world. Barrier Islands are long, narrow and straight and lie parallel to the mainland shore, providing a home for a variety of sea grasses, fish and other sea life. At three stories high, the tower at South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center offers great vistas of the barrier island, ocean, bay and mainland shore.



Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________


At a Glance

Check off the challenges completed. Teams that enter completed challenges on-line at “Texas Nature Challenge “ will receive a digital badge that can be

printed out and included in your journal.

Challenge 1: Birds ______ Challenge 2: Morning/Afternoon program ______ Challenge 3: Live Animal ______ Challenge 4: Water-based activity ______ Challenge 5: Plants & Trees ______ Challenge 6: Butterflies ______ Challenge 7: Insects ______ Challenge 8: Outdoor Picnic ______ Challenge 9: Evening/Night Program ______ Challenge 10: Reptiles & Mammals ______ Challenge 11: Bike Ride ______ Challenge 12: Water Feature Senses ______

*Remember, to be entered in the raffle, Teams must complete at least 10 of the 12 challenges at four different nature sites in the Rio Grande Valley. Deadline to complete challenges is August 27.

Short a challenge? For a bonus entry, describe (or draw) your favorite outdoor experience this summer.

Site Information & Summer Hours of Operation

STATE PARKS

Falcon State Park (956) 848-5327. 46 Park Rd, Falcon Heights, TX 78545.

Park Open Daily 8 am - 5 pm, and until 7 pm on weekends.

Bentsen-RGV State Park & World Birding Center 956-584-9156. 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Dr., Mission TX 78572

Park Open Daily 7 am - 10 pm Visitor Center Open Thursday - Sunday 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Estero Llano Grande State Park & World Birding Center

956-565-3919. 154A Lakeview Dr., Mercedes TX, 78599 Park Open Daily 8 am - 5 pm

Visitor Center Open Wednesday - Sunday 8 am - 5 pm

Resaca de la Palma State Park & World Birding Center 956-350-2920. 1000 New Carmen Blvd., Brownsville TX 78521

Park Open Daily 7 am - 10 pm Visitor Center Open Wednesday-Sunday 8 am - 5 pm

NATIONAL REFUGES & PARKS

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge & Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge

956-784-7500. 3325 Green Jay Rd., Alamo TX 78516 Park Open Daily Sunrise to Sunset

Visitor Center Open Daily 8 am - 4 pm

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge 956-748-3607. 22688 Buena Vista Rd, Los Fresnos, TX 78566

Refuge Open Daily Sunrise to Sunset Visitor Center Open Thursday-Monday 8 am - 4 pm

Palo Alto National Historical Park

956-541-2785. 7200 Paredes Line Rd, Brownsville TX 78526 Open Daily 8 am—5 pm


NATURE CENTERS & SITES

Roma Bluffs World Birding Center 956-849-4930. 610 N. Portscheller St., 78584 Roma TX

Bluffs Open Daily, Sunrise to Sunset. Park open Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm

National Butterfly Center 956-583-5400. 3333 Butterfly Park Rd., Mission TX 78572

Open Daily 9 am - 4 pm

McAllen Nature Center 956-681-3333. 4101 W Us Highway 83, McAllen, TX 78501

Open Daily 8 am—12 pm & 5pm to Sunset

Quinta Mazatlán & World Birding Center 956-681-3370. 600 Sunset Drive. McAllen, TX 78503

Open Tuesday - Saturday 8 am - 5 pm and Thursdays until Dark.

Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum & World Birding Center 956-843-8686. 902 S. Second St., Hidalgo TX 78557

Open Monday - Sunday 9 am - 7 pm

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands & World Birding Center 956-381-9922. 714 Raul Longoria Rd. Edinburg, TX 78540

Grounds Open Monday - Saturday 7 am - 6 pm, and until 8 pm Thursdays. Visitor Center Open Monday - Saturday 8 am - 5 pm

Frontera Audubon

956-968-3275. 1101 S. Texas Blvd., Weslaco TX 78596 Open Tuesday - Saturday 8 am - 4 pm and Sunday 12 pm - 4 pm

Valley Nature Center

956-969-2475. 301 S Border Ave, Weslaco, TX 78596 Tuesday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm, Saturday: 8 am - 5 pm & Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm

Hugh Ramsey Nature Park and World Birding Center

(956) 216-5951. 1001 S. Loop 499, Harlingen, Texas 78550 Open Daily 6 am to 10 pm


NATURE CENTERS & SITES

South Padre Island Sealife Center 956-299-1957. 110 N. Garcia St. , Port Isabel TX 78578

Open Daily 10 am to 4 pm

Coastal Studies Lab 956-761-2644. 100 Marine Lab Drive. South Padre Island, TX 78597

Visitor Center Open Monday - Friday 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm

South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center and World Birding Center 956-761-6801. 6801 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island, TX 78505

Mon & Tues 9 am - 7 pm, Weds– Sun 7 am to 7 am

Sea Turtle Inc. 956-761-4511. 6617 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island, TX 78597

Open Daily 10 am to 5 pm

Sabal Palm Sanctuary 956-541-8034. 8435 Sabal Palm Rd. Brownsville, TX 78521

Open Daily 7 am - 5 pm

CONGRATULATIONS!

You’ve completed your Family Summer Adventure Challenge journal. Don’t forget to double check that proof is attached to your journal pages. We hope your family had lots of fun completing the challenges. Thank you

for continuing to support your local nature centers and parks.

Please turn in your journals to your local nature center by 5 pm on Saturday, August 27th.

Find more information about sites & challenges at

NatureRocksRGV.org NatureChallenge.tamu.edu

Documents

FSAC journal 2017 - breakout · 2017-05-18 · may be listening to the sounds of the Giant Cicada or Chicharra Grande in Spanish. Although there are over 40 species of Cicadas in