The environmental nature center is once again offering its annual spring break camp from April 9-12. Featuring an array of fun activities tailored for young children in grades K – 6th grade, this year’s Spring Break Camp will highlight the themes “Wonderful Water,” “Habitat Heroes,” and “Science Cuisine.” Camp is from 9AM to 1PM, and “After Camp” is offered from 1-3PM Spring Break Themes @ ENC: Habitat Heroes – Campers will get involved in all the ways one can help out our planet Earth. Through hands-on games, eco-friendly crafts and exciting experiments, kids will learn about all 5 R’s, our friends the decomposers, discover some ways to help endangered species, and bust some non-natives. Wonderful Water – Campers will immerse themselves in the wonders of…

The Environmental Nature Center recently installed an Electric Vehicle Charging Station, and purchased an Electric Vehicle (EV) to be used as an eco-friendly mode of transportation for its Traveling Naturalist. The ENC is celebrating 40 years of providing quality education through hands on experience with nature. To celebrate this milestone, the ENC purchased an EV for its new Traveling Naturalist program, which conducts off site environmental education programs at schools and for community groups. “Over the last 40 years, the ENC has served as our community’s foremost authority on ecological responsibility, sustainable practices and environmental education,” Bo Glover, Executive Director said. “The ENC is committed to promoting sustainability. The vehicle and charging station will launch the ENC into a new era, and inspire others to…

Corona del Mar High School student Julia Kerr recently interviewed our Director of Education Lori Whalen for a paper she’s doing on green building. Here it is: Julia: Where do you think green construction is going in the future? Lori: I think that the standards developed by the US Green Building Council – LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification – will become mandatory for new construction in things like recycling or sourcing a certain amount of materials locally. Hopefully, this will also include clean water and energy efficiency as well. Frankly, years and years down the line, I foresee a law stating that NO water can be used on landscaping at all, requiring homeowners and businesses to only use locally native plants that…

On top of complex schedules and busy lives, 11 ENC volunteers stood above the rest by receiving one of the most distinguished awards in community service: The President’s Volunteer Service Award. The award is given to individuals who dedicate a great deal of their time to the betterment of their organizations, and this year, ENC recognized the following for their tremendous work: Alice Apkarian (volunteer of the year; see picture on right), Dennis Campbell, Jeanne Fisher, Darlene Letnes, David Nishioka, Jamie Perlman, Ruth Wolpe, Weston Butera, Jordan Castleton, Ian Fries, and Mike Krasel. Whether its docenting the museum, cleaning up the butterfly house, or serving as junior naturalist, these volunteers put in countless hours to help ENC provide quality education through hands-on experience with nature….

ENC Lead Naturalist Meghan Lockwood likes science a lot.  The only thing that she likes more than science experiments?  Showing OTHER PEOPLE how to do science experiments! The ever popular Soda/Mentos Geyser. Naturalist Alex Lane plays with inertia. Everyone prepares their experiment. It’s not magic, it’s SCIENCE! ENC Traveling Naturalist Sama Wareh plays with fire and free radicals.  Don’t try this at home, we are professionals. Alex Lane is a professional, too. Summer Camp Teacher Dave Rector makes cornstarch goo. ENC Naturalist Jeanine Fletcher’s appreciates the subtle joys of slime. SCIENCE!

crafts Exploring the Butterfly houseThe view from the fire pitExamining peltsThe gift shopRecycle-o-Rama (and do-si-doing)Grillin!Henna artHennaNature’s GiftsNature’s GiftsFood boothCraftsCraftsNative plant salesExploring the butterfly houseGrill QueensFace paintingCraftsCraftsCraftsCraftsCraftsExploring the butterfly houseHennaExamining the peltsRecycle-o-RamaHennaThe food boothThe food boothStory timeFace paintingPop tab bracelets