Eco- friendly fun

Amid the demonstration-prone atmosphere of the late 1960s, the modern environmentalism movement was born. In 1970, Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisc.) founded national Earth Day to celebrate and protect the planet.

The movement gained momentum in Huntington Beach as efforts to conserve the Bolsa Chica wetlands began just about the same time.

“We’ve had a history in H.B. of environmental activism,” said David Carlberg, president of Amigos de Bolsa Chica. “There aren’t too many wetlands particularly of that size ... that have been totally or almost totally preserved.”

The wetlands are home to hundreds of bird species and the estuary system provides a safe place for fish to spawn.

Earth Day is technically Tuesday, but there are a number of weekend events for Surf City residents to have some eco-friendly fun.

Wiggly Composters

The Shipley Nature Center, 17829 Golden West St., will host a seminar with Alan Piercy on Vermicomposting Saturday.

The class is aimed at equipping people with everything they need to compost with the help of worms. Stacked in bins, red wigglers chew through food waste and convert it into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Participants receive a vermicomposting kit valued at $125 for $49, thanks to the city of Huntington Beach’s effort to encourage environmentally friendly waste disposal.

The seminar is $10 and will likely be sold out, but more seminars are scheduled for May 17, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18.

Bags of the fertilizer or “worm castings” are available at the center. For more information, call (714) 842-4772 or visit www.shipleynature.org.

Park Planting

The Huntington Beach Tree Society will be planting trees Saturday at Gibbs Park, Graham Street across from the Meadow Lark Golf Course.

The group will plant trees and plants suited to monarch butterflies at 9 a.m. with a presentation ceremony at 11:30 a.m.

The event is free and tools will be provided.

For more information, visit www.hbtrees.org.

Wetlands Restoration

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust and the Amigos de Bolsa Chica will work together to plant native species in the wetlands Saturday.

The planting starts at 9 a.m. and lunch will be provided for volunteers.

Wear work clothes and plenty of sunscreen.

Meet at the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, 3842 Warner Ave. For more information, call Kim Kolpin at (714) 717-6304 or visit www.bolsachicalandtrust.org.

Family Environmentalism

The Bolsa Chica Conservancy, 3842 Warner Ave., and the Amigos de Bolsa Chica will host an Earth Day fair fit for kids and adults.

There will be educational programs, a touch tank for children to feel fish and seastars and crafts.

The free event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, visit www.amigosdebolsachica.org.