Favorite Places : NEWPORT ENVIRONMENTAL NATURE CENTER
MICHAEL ARMSTRONG
Third-grader at Adams Elementary School, Costa Mesa
“The interesting thing about the Nature Center is it used to be a dump. When I was in first grade and second grade I took classes here. It’s fun to go around and learn about animals and plants. They tell you the names of plants and their histories and if they can hurt you or make you sick like poison oak. They also showed us snakes and lizards.â€
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The Newport Environmental Nature Center is like a walk through California: It represents all 12 of the state’s native plant communities--including a desert, a redwood forest, a pine forest, oak woodland, Catalina Island flora and a valley grassland where wildflowers are now blooming. There are walking trails and a recycling stream and pond. The Nature Center was started 22 years ago by a group of science teachers with community help and student volunteers. It functions as an outdoor classroom for 8,000 students each year. It also offers adult tours, places to picnic and a summer science nature camp.
It is located on 2 1/2 acres in Newport Beach. For information and directions, call (714) 645-8489.
Favorite Places columnist Jane Spiller welcomes suggestions for places that are publicly accessible and free. Contact her c/o Voices.
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