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The ENC has you covered this Valentine’s Day!

hummingbird_bestValentine’s Day is right around the corner! Are you scurrying around, surfing the web endlessly, trying to find that perfect gift for your significant other? Take a deep breath and try to relax because the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach has you covered. There is a Native Plant Sale taking place on Saturday, February 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A native plant can be a great way to spice things up this year, instead of buying the usual bouquet of roses, that sadly decompose in less than a week. And every time he/she looks at the vibrant plant, it’ll remind them of you!

“Roses will be dead in a week,” says Hilary, who is in managing the Native Plant Sale. “Why not give your [significant other] something that will last and help the environment.”

hummingbird2Native plants also save you money because they don’t require much watering. With California coming off its hottest and driest year in over two millennia, saving as much water as possible is crucial to combating this extensive drought.

“Native plants support wildlife, such as birds, insects and pollinators, “ adds Hilary. “And they are also very beautiful and colorful, contrary to popular belief.”

If you already have the perfect gift for your significant other, you can still go and buy some native plants for your garden and become part of the solution to the drought.

Or better yet, you can join ENC Naturalist Leslie Helliwell for a Hummingbird Walk on the ENC grounds! You will learn about how hummingbirds get their fuel, how they “broadcast” their radiant color, and which plants depend on them for pollination.

“We do group bird watching and look for nests,” says Leslie Helliwell. “Then I show everyone how to identify hummingbirds by sound or by what they are doing.”

The adult version of the event takes place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Then there is a more family orientated version that will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

“There is also a native plant sale going on at the same time”, adds Leslie. “So people can purchase plants that hummingbirds are attracted to and see them in their own gardens.”

To register for the event or learn more about the Native Plant Sale, please visit encenter.org. – Alejandro Reynoso, ENC Communications Intern

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