Learning environment

Marisa O’Neil

Tucked away behind Newport Harbor High School is a mini-oasis, a

microcosm of California.

You have your low desert, your high desert, your woodlands and, of

course, your redwood forest. And your local elementary school

students are on winter break.

While Newport-Mesa Unified schools take time off for the holidays,

children in a program at Newport Beach’s Environmental Nature Center

are hiking through 14 different habitats, communing with nature and

making a few new friends.

“I saw three hawks yesterday!” 9-year-old Griffin Leggett said.

“And an egret,” his twin brother, Connor, added.

“A squirrel,” continued 10-year-old Yun Seo.

“And a hummingbird,” Griffin finished.

The students took a morning hike through the 3 1/2-acre property

last week with instructor Dan Green, as they did at the start of

every day there. Heavy rainfall the previous day left a small

waterfall running at peak flow and littered the walkways and stream

with wet, fallen leaves.

Eager to help out, children found sticks and started clearing

leaves out of the water. But the morning chill was starting to get to

5-year-old Sammy Kobrine and Green suggested they head back inside to

finish their art projects.

“Bye, you guys!” Sammy called to Griffin, Connor and 8-year-old

Paige Davies as they lagged behind to get a few last leaves, then ran

to catch up with the rest of the group.

As they walked along the trail, the children practically took over

the tour as expert field guides.

“There’s a hummingbird right there,” Griffin said, pointing to a

wall about 15 feet away. “Where’s the baby fungus?”

“There it is,” Connor said as he passed a log covered in

Shitake-mushroom-like organisms.

“And there’s the squirrel’s nest,” Griffin added, pointing to a

mass of sticks and leaves high above in the tree-tops.

Green told the children that the squirrels have to be careful not

to go too high, because of hawks, or too low, because of coyotes that

pop in at night from nearby Back Bay.

At the top of the trail, the sounds of shouts and whistles from

baseball practice at the high school next door brought everyone back

to reality, away from the quiet sounds of bubbling brooks and

rustling leaves.

“This is one of the best-kept secrets,” Green said of the center.

“People say, ‘I went to school right next door and never knew this

was here.’”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.