Providing quality education through hands-on experience with nature

Home | Programs - Overview

You are welcome to visit us on your own to enjoy exploring all that the ENC's plant communities and the learning center have to offer.

We do offer a series of programs intended to educate the public about California's native plant communities and sustainability. We provide quality education through hands-on experience with nature through the following programs: School | Traveling Naturalist | Scout | Homeschool | bEARTHday Parties | Community | Adult | Nature Camp

	School Programs You are invited! Bring your kindergarten through seventh grade students to our 3.5-acre outdoor classroom where they can participate in outdoor science or social science education programs based on the academic content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education. All programs feature a learning station in our new state-of-the-art Learning Center! Serving over 16,000 students and thousands of visitors each year, the ENC is recognized as a leader in education, providing opportunities for increasing our community's knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the natural world.
	Traveling Naturalist Bring excitement to your classroom! Bring a Traveling Naturalist to your school or program. Whether your class would benefit from a morning of hands on science or an afternoon of art, the ENC will supply the Naturalist, materials and the fun. You simply supply the space! All of our School Programs are aligned with California State Standards.
	Scout Programs Several programs are offered to meet the badge requirements of Cub Scouts, Brownies, and Junior Girl Scouts. Programs can also be tailored to the interests of individual groups.
	Home School Programs The ENC offers workshops to home school students age 6 to 10 and 9 to 12. Month-long weekly workshops provide children with hands-on experience with nature. Participants are engaged in activities to develop their skills in science, as well as social science, English language arts, math and geography. Students are immersed in a fun educational environment, and create art, play games and participate in hands-on activities.
	bEARTHday Parties Supporting members are invited to enjoy a bEARTHday Party at the Center. The ENC offers Little Naturalist bEARTHday Parties for children turning 3 - 5. Traditional bEARTHday Parties are for children turning 6 and up. Campfire and Overnight bEARTHday Parties are for children turning 7 and up. Refreshments, provided by the host family, are served streamside.
	Community Programs Families and the community are welcome to enjoy campfire programs, full moon hikes, Little Naturalist programs, and wilderness survival workshops.
	Adult Programs The ENC offers programs geared towards adults who want to learn more about their natural world. These include the "Green Lecture" series, green building tours and lectures, and Traveling Naturalist for Adults programs. There are also many volunteer opportunities.
	Nature Camp Various Nature Camps are offered throughout the academic year to students who are on break from school. The ENC Nature Camp Science Summer School is a natural science enrichment program offered to elementary students who are entering Kindergarten through 6th grade. Since 1977, Nature Camp has provided quality science education in an outdoor, hands-on setting. Students are introduced to environmental/natural science concepts in a variety of creative ways. The curriculum is carefully integrated with hands-on activities to enhance and reinforce the learning experience.

The Environmental Nature Center, known simply to thousands of visitors through the years as "The ENC", is 3.5 acres of what was once a litter-filled gully behind Newport Harbor High School. Today, it is a fascinating combination of 15 California native plant communities (ranging from a desert, to an oak woodland, to a fresh water marsh, to a redwood forest), wildlife habitats and walking trails. For over 35 years, the ENC has been shaped and caressed into a landscape for learning, a sanctuary from life's pressures and a place of preservation and instruction. Serving over 16,000 students and welcoming thousands of visitors annually, the ENC is recognized as a leader in education providing opportunities for increasing our community's knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the natural world.