by Amelia Kimberlin, ENC Communications Intern Kirsten Babcock, an incoming senior at Edison High School, is delighted to be the Environmental Nature Center’s newest Horticulture Intern! Kirsten, while looking for a way she could she could better our community and give back to nature, learned about this position at the ENC and had to apply! She discovered her interests in the environment and its preservation through her high school AP Environmental Science class, which focuses on the vital importance of nature. Kirsten is a prime example of the positive impact of environmental education! “Since taking APES last year, I have gained a tremendous amount of perspective on my impact on the environment. I am considering Environmental Science as a career path and I knew I…

by Angelica Camacho, ENC Communications Intern Are you a responsible, reliable, curious and adventurous high school student? Looking for hands-on volunteer experience? Apply to become a Leader in Training here at the Environmental Nature Center! The Leaders in Training (LIT) program provides students with an excellent opportunity to practice responsibility and leadership as they assist experienced staff at our Nature Camps. “I love seeing the kids light up over the animals and activities,” says Karis Simons, a fourth year Leader in Training and animal care intern at the ENC. Karis continues to volunteer with the program because of her passion for working with children and great respect for the values of the Center. She hopes to apply her experience as an LIT toward a career as…

My name is Amelia Kimberlin and I am excited to be the new communications intern at the Environmental Nature Center! I am currently working to complete an honors bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature at the University of British Columbia. I was drawn to the Communications Internship at the ENC because of my positive previous experiences as a participant – I was a Nature Camper! – and because it’s a great opportunity to gain personal and professional experience while benefiting the community. I wanted to get hands-on experience in the communications field, as that’s where I will be pursuing a career after graduation. When I heard about this position, I jumped at the chance! I’m very much looking forward to learning to write for…

by Amelia Kimberlin, ENC Communications Intern Newport Harbor High School student Lucy Nitz is delighted to be the newest Animal Care Intern at the Environmental Nature Center! She first learned about the ENC as a kid through her attendance on field trips to the Center, later becoming a Leader in Training when she entered high school. “I loved working with the kids in an environment that was all-loving and fully educational, as well as incorporating arts and hands-on experiences to make sure everyone was always having fun. I knew I wanted to come back this summer, but my eyes were on the animal care internships more than anything.” Lucy is excited to gain valuable experience during her internship that will help her on her way…

by Angelica Camacho, ENC Communications Intern When you can go on a quick hike on your break, or take a seat in the Redwood Forest, there cannot be a better place to intern than the Environmental Nature Center.  My name is Angelica Camacho and I am thrilled to begin my experience interning for the center here in the beautiful city of Newport Beach.  I am  a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, where I majored in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations so when I saw an opening for a communications position for a non-profit organization I had to apply right away.  I am a writer at heart so to be able to write for the ENC and build my experience is a…

by Valerie Bain, Animal Care Manager Abby Sweetser started volunteering with us as part of our Animal Care Internship Program in October of 2016 and has already completed the 100 service hours for her high school requirement, yet she continues to give us her Saturday mornings.  She attends Newport Harbor High School & joined us through the Environmental Science Field Studies Department.  Abby & her mom are a Dynamic Duo that also volunteer for Karma Rescue: A non-profit organization that transforms lives and creates second chances with innovative programs that champion at-risk dogs and cats in Los Angeles through rescue, training, fostering and adoption.  When Abby is not attending classes or volunteering her time, she is practicing or competing as a Mid-Fielder for the NHHS…

By Lola Olvera, ENC Communications Intern Sixteen weeks ago I first set foot on the soil of the Environmental Nature Center in a pair of decidedly non-non-skid black flats (not recommended as, eventually, you may slip and fall pathetically after venturing out on the trails on your own). I was there to interview for a communications internship with Communications Director Lori Whalen. I can’t remember what I had been doing poking around a Berkley internship webpage or why an environmental nature center intrigued me, someone who still had to Google whether certain things were recycled and couldn’t tell one suburban bird from another. But the sudden enveloping peacefulness of the trails and Lori’s unwavering enthusiasm in everything kinda sealed the deal. In terms of the…

By Lola Olvera, ENC Communications Intern According to online blog Fear Of, ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes, is the second most common zoophobia, affecting almost a third of all adults. 17-year-old Vivar will not be one of them. As an animal care intern for the Environmental Nature Center, it’s her job and her joy to tend to the center’s three snakes, not to mention their tarantula – the most common zoophobia – rabbits, salamander, bearded dragon, toads and other critters. “I believe some people have a fear of animals… possibly because of a not so pleasant experience they had in the past or they are just afraid because the animals might be venomous or could bite,” says Vivar. “I was afraid of spiders and I…

Last day, last blog! Today is my last day of summer interning at the ENC! Although short, it has been such a rewarding and eye-opening learning experience. I came into this summer knowing that -at the very least- I would get to understand how an environmental nonprofit is run. Now that I am finished, I can see how I have learned so much more. On the outside, I was just the blog-writing, media-posting, event- publicizing intern. But besides that, I was developing effective administration and communication skills. I’ve learned about the major planning that goes into an event, the importance of nonprofit and community partners working together, and the behind-the-scenes work that makes a nature center run smoothly. Honestly, there is no way college would…

Calling all high schoolers! The ENC is accepting applications for Winter Camp 2016-2017 “Leaders in Training”! Leaders in Training, or LITs, are high school students that help with kids’ Nature Camps during school breaks. If you are a high school student that is looking for a volunteer opportunity, loves nature, or hopes to build a resume, then this is the perfect option! LITs get to have an amazing experience, as well as positively influence kids! While the campers grow in their nature knowledge, the LITs grow in their leadership, childcare, and teaching skills! LITs lead kids in all kinds of science and nature activities, crafts, and hikes. Abby Flores, a past LIT, says that through this experience, she has learned a lot about science, nature,…

By Alexandria Raeann Choy, ENC Communications Intern Meet the ENC’s newest Grounds Keeper and Composting Intern, Nhi! This coming fall, she will be a senior at La Quinta High School. Nhi’s passion for the environment and nature began in 6th grade. She became intrigued by the way “everything was interconnected, even in the most unexpected ways”. Ecology field trips, exciting hands-on labs, and an AP Environmental Science class furthered this interest. And now, she is interning here at the ENC! Nhi is especially excited to be the Grounds Keeper and Composting Intern, because of its emphasis on botany. She views botany as “one of those fields that goes in-depth on things that people tend to overlook, and accentuates how the world is composed of more…