Everything I need to know I learned from Jack Johnson

This past Friday every single Kindergartener from La Madera went on a field trip to the

Environmental Nature Center of Newport Beach

23 moms (& a couple of dads) went along as well, so many that the teacher ordered a second bus to accommodate everyone.

The nature center is in Newport Beach, and consists of 3.5 acres of what was once a litter-filled gully behind Newport Harbor High School, and today is a combination of 15 native Californian plant communities, wildlife habitats and walking trails. It is manned by naturalists and volunteers who run educational programs to familiarize school children with the many aspects of their environment, as well as foster a sense of responsibility for the world around them.

Jed and his buds and the bus

Jed and his bud and his mom on the bus

After an introduction the kids were divided into five groups to travel around
to five stations and learn more about the environment. Our first stop was inside,
on this giant carpet to learn about reducing, reusing and recycling.

Jed was ready for lunch by this point, and it was still only our first stop

The kids played a fun relay game where the docent gave them each something to recycle in the proper receptacle - glass, metal, paper, trash - to learn about the different kinds of recycling.



As you can see Jed failed both times.
(his magazine in the glass, his egg carton in the metal -
I guess I'll just be happy he didn't just throw them both into the trash)

Heading outside we come across some beautiful
golden California Poppies

Learning that one of the basic needs of animals is shelter

Jed and his snail - which he put in the correct habitat - forest
(as opposed to desert)

Next station was about birds
learning about the unique aspects of owls and their wings

Then we met the center's king snake
Jed was impressed to learn they are the only snake not afraid
to take on a rattlesnake

One of the hiking trails brushes up against the property line -
on the other side of the refuge this giant single family dwelling was being built,
lest we forget we are in Newport Beach

Learning about animals and camouflage, finding
brown and green (rubber) worms in dirt

hiking to the final station to learn about insects

the kids enjoyed wearing these glasses which mimic
the vision of a butterfly

Jed is mostly smiling because next up is lunch!

Our group walked across the street to eat lunch at a nearby park -
we passed this LDS chapel along the way - it had a cool rock deco,
including a large mosiac in the walkway to the right

Jed and I eating lunch with our own,
with our own,
two hands.