Notes about your surroundings.

Sycamore Hills Open House--The Sycamore Hills Preserve, owned by the city of Laguna Beach, will hold an open house on Saturday.

The preserve has groves of sycamores, as well as coastal sage scrub vegetation and stands of oaks. All are visible from a nature trail that winds through the area.

There will be an environmental education wagon stationed at the open house entrance where booklets about the preserve will be available.

The open house will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The entrance to the preserve is on the east side of Laguna Canyon Road between Laguna Lakes and El Toro Road. For more information, call the UC Irvine Cooperative Outdoor Program office at (714) 856-5183.

Central Park Field Trip--The Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society is hosting a field trip to Huntington Central Park on Saturday. The park is one of the best sites in the county to bird-watch.

Fall is a good time to spot birds in the park because of the diversity of the birds that are attracted to the area during the migration period. The park’s habitat includes open space, native plant life and water, which have attracted more than 200 bird species there.

Birds seen there this time of year in the past include indigo buntings, Canada warblers, summer tanagers and chestnut-sided warblers.

The field trip will include a special section for beginning birders.

Those who would like to go on the trip are asked to meet at 8 a.m. at the park’s Slater Avenue parking lot. Participants are asked to wear comfortable shoes that will withstand walking through wet grass. The trip will last until noon.

For more information, call the chapter office at (714) 543-7393.