Once it stopped raining, we were visited by many animals. Bees! Hello, ladies. Bobcat! The campers were impressed.  The bobcat was decidedly unimpressed.

It rained all week! Playing in the rain Woodworking with Mark Winter Crafts with Leslie     Learning about the National Parks with Josh

ENC Naturalist Mark Maeseele demonstrates fire by hand drill. Creating our fireboards Practicing Success!

Our Ofrenda Happy Calacas! Pan de Muerto (yes, it’s homemade!) We painted small plaster sugar skulls- all the fun, minus the ants!

Workbooks helped us to develop our designs before we actually painted each other. Practicing our designs on paper. Sama showing us how it’s done. Practicing on each other!

ENC staff and local homeschool moms brainstormed on what the future would be like with more people. Helen cuts an apple to demonstrate the amount of topsoil available on the planet to grow crops. Checking out the “J Curve” – the exponential growth of human population on the planet – where resources are NOT unlimited!

Members and volunteers enjoyed dinner provided by the Stonefire Grill at this year’s Taste of Twilight – the ENC’s annual member and volunteer appreciation event. New Naturalist Josh and his new wife relax under one of the ENC’s electric heat lamps – which make outdoor events in the Fall & Spring oh so cozy! Lead Naturalist Meghan leads a short Green Building Tour. Leslie, Mike & Mark enjoy dinner at the front desk. Executive Director Bo Glover serves ice cream to guests. The Rotary Club accepts the ENC’s Appreciation Award for their help with our Butterfly House. The ENC staff played “Stump the Naturalist” with the guests. Museum Docent Roy Gauthier accepted the Volunteer of the Year Award. Learn how YOU can volunteer at the…

Making penguins using outlines of our feet! Naturama!!!Discussing the “10 essentials” Making edible wetlandsWhat a photogenic kid! Making ocean collages. Making coffee filter jellyfish. Playing water games on a hot day. Blue & Green made coral today out of recycled straws! Spying on a rabbit. Making camouflage rays at the Marsh. Making string for our fossil shark teeth necklaces! Valerie reads a story to Blue & Green. Helen shows campers how a ray swims. Red/purple campers made experimental ducks to see which design floated the best. Turns out simple is better! Valerie & Fran and the blue/green group discuss what they’ve learned. Yellow & orange work on their journals.Learning about the 5 senses!Showing off the sock whale we made in camp! Isn’t this just the…

Naturama! Campers – led by their Junior Naturalists – visited each team of Camp Teachers to participate in a fun activity and make a craft.Meghan and Nick told the campers the ORIGINAL story of Cinderella (which came from Egypt), then everyone made an Egyptian “cartouche“. David & Leslie discussed the history, physics and engineering of catapults, then the campers made their own projectiles (out of wine corks) to launch! Campers learned the ways of the indigenous people of Orange County as they practiced with our pump drills. Turgundy learned about Vikings and played a Viking game! Black & White created a fabulous mural. Field trip to Clark Park in Buena Park where we visited their Interpretive Center for the “Fun with Fossils” program and explored…

Alysha prepares the “cheese.” Pizza sauce & toppings! Decorating our pizzas…Visit www.encenter.org for info on upcoming classes!

Art Campers demonstrating how to draw an octopus.Showing off our work at the Art Show. Red & Purple created sun prints! Making Sand Art during Naturama!Playing Native American games during Naturama!Making string during Naturama!Grinding acorns during Naturama!Pulling “hot” rocks out of the fire to boil water to make acorn mush during Naturama!Showing off his dream catcher.Bob reading Andrew Henry’s Meadow.Eating acorn mush and berry tea. Making string during Naturama! Learning about the flags of the world! Turgundy studied Australia and practiced Aboriginal art! Blue & Green made Masai jewelry when they studied Kenya. Blue & Green made God’s Eyes when they studied Mexico. Black and White studied Australia and made bark rubbings. Black & White studied Japan and practiced writing Japanese characters on “wood cookie”…

Katie & Nick at Naturama.Re-used insect!David distributing popcorn.Leslie showing campers how to make furoshiki during Naturama.Tie die!making paper beads out of recycled magazines.Show & tell in the Green & Blue group.Meghan brought chocolate from Belgium for the pot luck!Campers from every group worked together to make this neat recycled art project! Thank you to those of you who brought in your “trash”!The Peace Sign artist, Julie from My Recycled Art helps the campers place their objects. Mini versions of Julie’s projects are available in our gift shop!Alanna earned her Gold Award from Girl Scouts by developing and presenting “Green on a Shoestring” to all of our campers this session. Campers learned inexpensive ways to be more friendly to the Earth.Alanna encouraging everyone to use re-usable…