Environment : Notes about your surroundings.

Dolphin Count--Volunteers are needed for Saturday’s “Day of the Dolphin” count along the Southern California coast. The Coast Dolphin Survey Project, headed by Dennis Kelly of Orange Coast College, hopes to station volunteers at one-mile intervals from Point Conception in Ventura County to the Mexican border.

More than 100 people participated in the sixth such count in May, 1988. About 120 bottlenosed dolphins were counted.

The Orange County chapter of the American Cetacean Society is coordinating volunteer efforts for this year’s count. Volunteers must attend an orientation meeting Thursday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Center, 1845 Park St.

Saturday’s count will last from 10 a.m. to noon. For information, call the American Cetacean Society, (714) 651-1825. Docent Training--The Santa Ana Zoo education department has announced its fall session of docent training workshops. The classes will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Oct. 3 through Nov. 2, in the Education Center on zoo grounds.

The workshop provides an introduction to the zoo’s animal collection and to the field of zoology, covering such topics as animal behavior, anatomy and the breeding of endangered species. The course also focuses on the instructional techniques used in conducting zoo programs.

After completion of the course, docents will lead tours and Zoo Lab classes, help conduct the outreach Zoomobile program and assist in special activities. Participants must join Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo and contribute at least 80 hours of service. Reservations are required; call (714) 836-4000 for information. Source: Los Angeles chapter, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Level contrasts current count with standard for this time of year.

Trend indicates change from last pollen count (n/c indicates no change).