Notes about your surroundings

Nature Break--Over the holiday school break, the Oak Canyon Nature Center is offering three weeks of holiday programming for children 6 to 10.

The classes will cover both scientific study and enjoyment of nature, including tracking animals, the microscopic natural world, migration and how animals coexist in the wild. The third week will focus on animals of the different continents and how they’ve adapted to their environments.

Activities for these half-day sessions include walks along the center’s trails, games, crafts, scientific experiments and animal demonstrations.

The classes will meet at the nature center Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants should bring a sack lunch each day and wear comfortable clothes. Register for as many days as desired; however, preregistration is strongly recommended. The fee for each program is $8.

The Oak Canyon Nature Center is at 6700 Walnut Canyon Road, Anaheim. Information: (714) 998-8380.

To get to the center, take the Riverside Freeway east to the Imperial Highway off-ramp. Exit and head south to Nohl Ranch Road. Turn left and travel about three miles to Walnut Canyon Road, and turn left again. Pass the Anaheim Hills Golf Course; the nature center is at the end of the road, and parking is on the left.

Docent Opportunity--Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona del Mar is looking for volunteers to give tours of the facility to children and adults.

In-depth training will be provided by a professional horticulturist so people with all levels of experience, from novices to experts, are invited to become docents at the gardens. Trainees will be introduced to plant behavior and characteristics, botanical terms and environmental awareness.

Tours are held daily, including weekends, and volunteers would be offered many different shifts to cover.

For more information, contact Sherman Library and Gardens, 2647 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar; (714) 673-2261.