ENC Nature Preschool

Views of Nature. Not Buildings.

This image compares the current view from the Environmental Nature Center patio with the view shown in the developer's proposed rendering.

Many community members support responsible housing development while also questioning whether this particular project is compatible with the Newport Beach Community and the unique natural setting that has made the ENC a meaningful part of Newport Beach for more than 50 years.

On June 18, the Newport Beach Planning Commission will consider this proposal.

If preserving places that connect children and families to nature matters to you, we encourage you to learn more and share your perspective.

📅 June 18, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Newport Beach Civic Center

Learn more: encenter.org

Planting a native garden is just the beginning.

Today, Hugo Sopeña led participants through the ENC grounds, sharing practical strategies for caring for California native landscapes over time—from seasonal maintenance and pruning to working with natural cycles instead of against them.

Thank you, Hugo, and thanks to everyone who joined us for a wonderful morning of learning and stewardship.

For more than 50 years, the Environmental Nature Center has provided children and families with opportunities to connect with nature in the heart of Newport Beach.

A proposed residential development currently under review would place three-story buildings immediately adjacent to the ENC and ENC Nature Preschool. Many community members are concerned that the project, as proposed, is not compatible with the Newport Beach Community and could significantly alter the natural setting that makes the ENC such a special place.

The Newport Beach Planning Commission will consider this project on June 18.

Please consider attending the meeting and sharing your perspective.

📅 June 18, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Newport Beach Civic Center

Learn more: encenter.org

“I am not against housing. I understand we need it. But this particular project in this particular spot would do permanent damage to something our community has treasured since 1972. I do not think we can get that back once it is gone.”

— Greer Wylder, founder of Greer's OC

Greer recently shared a heartfelt letter with the Newport Beach City Council and Planning Commission about the proposed development adjacent to the Environmental Nature Center.

As someone who grew up in Newport Beach and raised four boys who attended ENC camps, her perspective reflects what many in our community have been feeling.

Read Greer's full letter at encenter.org

If the ENC has been meaningful to you, please consider taking action:

✅ Attend the Newport Beach Planning Commission meeting on June 18 at 6:00 PM

✅ Send a personal email to:
[email protected]
[email protected]

✅ Visit the ENC while you still can experience it as it exists today. The ENC is open to all visitors on weekends from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM.

Personal stories matter. Thank you for helping protect a place that has inspired generations of children and families.

"Planting a native garden is just the beginning."

What happens after planting often determines whether a landscape thrives.

Join ENC Horticulturist Hugo Sopeña for a hands-on workshop focused on the care, stewardship, and long-term success of California native landscapes.

Together we'll explore:
✔ Native grass maintenance
✔ Seasonal pruning
✔ Managing natural growth cycles
✔ Recognizing signs of landscape health
✔ Creating beautiful, resilient landscapes with less intervention

📅 Saturday, June 13
⏰ 10:00–11:30 AM
📍 Environmental Nature Center, Newport Beach

ENC & CNHF Members: $15
Non-members: $20

Register at https://events.encenter.org/events/maintaining-a-native-garden/

Some people have asked whether showing up on June 18 will really make a difference.

We believe it can.

While the site remains in Newport Beach's Housing Element, the proposed project is still under review. Community input can help shape important decisions about setbacks, privacy, buffering, and other impacts on the Environmental Nature Center, ENC Nature Preschool, and the Newport Beach Community.

Please join us at the Planning Commission meeting:

📅 June 18, 2026 • 6:00 PM
📍 Newport Beach Civic Center

Wear your ENC shirt if you have one. Bring a sign. Bring a friend.

Some sign ideas (but be creative!):
🌿 Don't Wall In the Wild
🌿 Kids Should See Birds, Not Buildings
🌿 Protect What Makes Newport Special

Most importantly, bring your voice.

Learn more at encenter.org

California native landscapes don't behave like traditional gardens.

They change with the seasons. They go dormant. They reseed. They surprise us.

Sometimes what looks "messy" is actually a landscape doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

Join Hugo Sopeña on June 13 to learn how to read your landscape, understand natural cycles, and care for native plants in ways that support long-term success.

This practical workshop includes a guided walk through the ENC grounds and real-world examples of native landscape stewardship.

📍 Environmental Nature Center
📅 June 13, 2026
⏰ 10:00–11:30 AM

ENC & CNHF Members: $15
Non-members: $20

Learn more and register at https://events.encenter.org/events/maintaining-a-native-garden/

🌿 Visit the ENC as It Exists Today 🌿

This week offers a rare quiet moment at the Environmental Nature Center. Field trip season ended last week, and Nature Camp doesn't begin until next week, making this a wonderful time to enjoy our trails and wildlife habitat at a slower pace.

We're inviting the entire community to visit through Friday, June 12, from 9 AM–5 PM. Can't make it this week? The ENC is always open to everyone free of charge on weekends from 10 AM–3 PM.

We encourage you to come experience the ENC for yourself and see why so many people care deeply about this special place.

📍 1601 E. 16th Street, Newport Beach

Learn more: https://encenter.org/take-action/

A proposed residential development currently under review would place three-story buildings immediately adjacent to the Environmental Nature Center and ENC Nature Preschool. If you've been following our recent communications, you know why we're concerned. If you're just hearing about this issue, I encourage you to learn more at https://encenter.org/take-action/

If the Environmental Nature Center has been meaningful to you, please take two actions:

✅ Attend the Newport Beach Planning Commission meeting on June 18.

✅ Send a respectful email to the Planning Commission and City Council sharing your personal connection to the ENC and your thoughts about the proposed project.

📅 Planning Commission Meeting
June 18, 2026 • 6:00 PM
📍 Newport Beach Civic Center

Planning Commission: [email protected]

City Council: [email protected]

Personal stories are often the most powerful.

Whether you've attended a field trip, explored the trails with a child or grandchild, volunteered, enjoyed the beauty of native plants and wildlife, or simply found a moment of peace beneath an open sky, your experience helps illustrate why the ENC matters to our community.

You may also wish to express concerns about the proposed building height, impacts on the ENC's natural setting, potential habitat, shading, traffic, or privacy impacts, and the importance of preserving quality outdoor learning environments for children.

Thank you for your support!