Interview With
Lori Whalen
The Environmental Nature Center (ENC) was founded in 1972 and camps have been offered here since 1977. Today, there are a greater number of camps throughout the year due to an increase in demand and because of the unique nature of the experiences offered. Many campers return year after year until they become too old to attend camp, wherein they become junior naturalists so they can instill the love for nature and camp in the next generation
The Environmental Nature Center is located in Newport Beach, California. The center is a short walk from from the beach, so it is usually nice and cool here, even in the Summer. We are located just off of Pacific Coast Highway. The address is 1601 E 16th St, Newport Beach, CA 92663. Despite the fact the center is located in Newport Beach, it stretches across 3.5 acres and contains 14 different plant communities
The philosophy here at the ENC, for school programs, scout groups, camps, and all of our programs, is to provide quality education through hands-on experience with nature. The camps offer the children a chance to become engaged with the current theme provided by the camp, but more importantly to grow and interact with their environment and fellow campers. The goal is to nurture a child’s natural curiosity and foster the development of his or her knowledge through authentic experiences. The camp teachers integrate activities, play, art, crafts, hiking, experiments, music, group interaction, individualized instruction, and so much more to benefit each camper the most.
The camps at the Environmental Nature Center always keep a keen eye toward environmental issues, though the camp themes themselves vary greatly from “Mad Science” and “Ingenious Inventions” to “Under the Sea” and “Planet Protectors.” Camp teachers write their curriculum specifically for the camp, so the children are provided with different content and activities each session. The materials taught are dynamic and fresh to accommodate returning campers as well as those attending for the first time.
The camp activities are chosen and designed by the camp teachers specifically for the theme and age groups of the given session. During “Mad Science,” younger campers may be experimenting with a plant’s ability to absorb colors and water while the older campers may be exploring non-Newtonian fluids. A camp occurring during “Under the Sea” could find younger campers designing their own sea creatures as older students grapple with the ramifications of habitat destruction through a game. There are always a new variety of activities being offered from one camp to the next.
Camps occur during the summer as well as during the winter and spring breaks from school. This includes seven to eight one-week sessions during the summer, two one-week sessions during the winter break, a one-week session for President’s Week and a one-week session for spring break. The camps run from Monday to Thursday, 9 AM until 1 PM (unless otherwise noted), with the option of extending your camper’s day until 3 PM by enrolling them in after camp. The price for camp is $175 per session and for after camp is $80, with members to the nature center getting a 10% discount.
The staff at the ENC that teach the camps are the same wonderful staff that also teach school programs, scout programs, community enrichment events, traveling naturalist programs (where we come to you), and summer, fall, winter, and spring camps at the ENC! The staff is comprised of 15 naturalists/teachers as well as a camp director and numerous junior naturalists so each camper gets the attention he or she needs. The staff is knowledgeable about teaching techniques, which activities are beneficial for the growth of children… they know about plants and animals from a multitude of ecosystems… They are also first aid and CPR certified. The staff is hired because of their ability to teach, but more importantly for their desire to work with children.
Because the kids love it! And the parents love it! The camps allow children a chance to supplement what they’re learning in school with real-life experiences. Campers become so engaged in what they’re doing they often don’t realize how much they’re learning. The ENC provides a safe, nurturing, educational setting in which the children can enrich their lives. Attending the ENC’s nature camp is an easy way to make both children and parents happy.
Teaching outdoors or “going back to the basics” of using nature to learn and grow is becoming more and more popular. The ENC has been excelling in outdoor education through camps for almost forty years, and the camps continue to improve. With a passionate, experienced, informed staff, campers leave a little happier, a little more joyous, and a little smarter (whether they know it or not!). The ENC offers excellent, unique opportunities that bring parents and campers back session after session, year after year.
All of the information about the camps can be found on our website at encenter.org. This includes dates for camps, times, prices, scholarship opportunities, any field trips taken during that session, as well as online applications and contact information. The camps do fill-up, so as soon as you know you’d like to enroll your child in a camp, please do so online. Since we have camps occurring during all times of the year, it’s best to check the website to see when the next camp is happening. Or if you would like to call us, we can be reached at (949) 645-8489.
