Environmental Nature Center- ENC- Newport Beach



I had the opportunity to visit the Environmental Nature Center this past weekend and had to share some of the highlights of our trip to this little gem.

The Environmental Nature Center or ENC is located in Newport Beach and a great place to take your kiddos to learn about nature. The ENC is home to three and a half acres of land that are dedicated to learning about our beautiful surroundings. The center is home to 15 plant communities that range from a fresh water marsh to a redwood forest. It’s a great place to take the kids for a little hike and enjoy listening to birds and taking in the beautiful plants and flowers. My kiddos loved walking along the trails and pointed out every single bird, insect and plant out to me. They had a blast walking around. It’s a nice place to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

The center is also home to a butterfly house. We had a great time walking around and taking a look at the various butterflies that were flying around(just a bit of a warning- your 4 year old might talk about their adoration for butterflies but when they are face to face with one might change his or her mind). We just kind of stood around and observed the caterpillars and the different types of butterflies. The butterfly house is open during spring/summer.

After checking out the butterfly house and walking around the trails we headed inside the center to check out their exhibits. They have a small section with books, coloring pages and a place for the kids to relax and enjoy. There is also a snake exhibit. My daughter loved it. My two and a half year old son HATED it. I made a mistake of picking him up to observe a snake that just happened to be striking against the glass and well that was that. My son started screaming and ran out to the parking lot and refused to come back inside. Thankfully we had checked out most of the center before our snake experience.

It’s a great place to take the kiddos to explore nature. I will definitely coming back. There are a couple of different events planned each month. There is a full moon walk coming up on Friday May 8th that sounds like a great one for the family. Check out their event section on their site for some great programs and events that are coming up.

Almost forgot. The Environmental Center is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturdays from 8am to 4pm. Admission is free but donations are always welcomed. For additional info click here.

Environmental Nature Center- ENC
1601 Sixteenth Street
Newport Beach, CA 92663

3 comments

  1. Sharlene says:

    I have been wanting to go here for a couple months but I haven’t gotten around to it. Okay. You talked me into it! Looks like fun!

  2. RenaissanceMom says:

    Funny–I had just heard of this place when I saw your blog entry. It sounds really cool, and I am doing my best to get there this week with the kids. Thanks so much for your great blog!

  3. gaohui says:

    It doesn't make a lot of Moncler Boutique sense to throw on whatever shabby coat you have in moncler veste the closet at the last minute. Be moncler doudoune sure to take into consideration moncler hommes the environment when shopping for your doudoune moncler femmes new coat. You want the coat moncler femmes to look good but you also want it to keep you warm as doudoune moncler hommes well. You'll probably need a different coat for running errands doudoune moncler femmes and another for attending business meetings doudoune moncler hommes or social gatherings. You can also find certain types of coats moncler gilet that are very versatile and will work for many different types of occasions.

Leave a Reply