Nature in the heart of a child

Andrew Edwards

Mona Bennani spent her Christmas break teaching children how to

survive.

Mona, 12, is not much older than the children she worked with over

her vacation at Newport Beach’s Environmental Nature Center.

The Costa Mesa resident helped naturalist Dan Green run the

“Survivors” workshop, a children’s program that featured fun lessons

on how to stay alive if stranded in the wilderness.

During one of the activities, children built model shelters out of

twigs and clay.

“They’re learning how to survive, like what you can eat and how to

make shelters,” Mona said.

An aspiring teacher, Mona enjoyed spending her time out of Ensign

Intermediate School, helping children imagine a life outside of

civilization.

“I like children, and they’re really nice, and they’re cute,” she

said. “I get to solve their problems and help them earn experience

with children.”

Before her winter break, Mona volunteered at the center on

Wednesdays with a variety of tasks, including working with plants,

making signs and reading to children. Sometimes she plants flowers,

but she also enjoys working with less glamorous plants.

“I like weeding, you get to feel the earth and know that you’ve

done something,” Mona said.

Because of her hard work and love of nature, she was asked to help

out at the center’s two holiday children’s programs, “Survivors” and

a craft workshop, program director Lori Whalen said.

“She absolutely adores nature and will tell you all about it,”

Whalen said.

The crafts workshop took place during the first week of Christmas

break, with “Survivors” during the second. Green was impressed by

Mona’s willingness to come back for more work after volunteering for

a week with small children.

“We had all kindergartners, and to go through that and want to

come back, I tip my hat to her,” Green said.