ENVIRONMENT

Notes about your surroundings.

Anti-Sprawl--”Friends of the Foothills,” an effort by local groups and individuals to preserve 35,000 acres of land in southeast Orange County, will be presented Wednesday by the Sierra Sage/South Orange County Sierra Club Group. Slides of the area and its wildlife will be shown, and there will be displays, talks and opportunities to get involved. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of South Orange County, 25801 Obrero Drive, Mission Viejo. Information: Paul Carlton, (949) 661-9505.

Top Tanks--Explore the undersea world during Orange Coast College’s open house showcasing its aquariums Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Marine Science Lab. Students will demonstrate how they test water, collect samples, feed animals and clean the tanks. On display will be Orange County’s largest cold-water aquarium, featuring local sea creatures collected off the coast, and two warm-water aquariums with corals from reefs around the world and tropical fish. Tide pool “touch tanks” will be stocked with a variety of local animals. The lab is in the Lewis Center for Applied Sciences at Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Free. Information: (714) 432-0202, Ext. 22562.

Harvest Gold--Make a corn-husk wreath and a gourd bird feeder, take a native plant walk and sample snacks during the Oak Canyon Nature Center’s “Celebrate the Harvest” workshop next Sunday. The program, geared toward children 7 to 12, runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $6.50. The nature center is at 6700 E. Walnut Canyon Road, just off Nohl Ranch Road near the Anaheim Hills Golf Course. Information: (714) 998-8380.

* Send items for consideration to Vicky Clepper, The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Fax: (714) 966-7711.