ENVIRONMENT

Notes about your surroundings

Safe Harbor--Volunteers will be gathering trash from Newport Harbor on “Clean Harbor Day” on June 6. The event, now in its 18th year, begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Cannery restaurant, 3010 Lafayette Ave. To get involved, call the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce at (949) 729-4400.

Net Work--Groups can help out at Upper Newport Bay with beach net surveys that track sharks and other fish. The catch is tagged, recorded and released. Surveys are conducted throughout the year. Information: (949) 640-6746. Sharks will also be the center of attention at a campfire Saturday. Marine biologists from the state Department of Fish and Game will conduct the program, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the amphitheater on Shellmaker Island, off Backbay Drive in Newport Beach. Reservations are required: (949) 642-5031.

Back to the Future--Preservation of Orange County’s “Backyard Wilderness” will be the subject of a public meeting hosted by the Sierra Club on Tuesday. Slides of South Orange County back country by wildlife photographer Richard Jackson will be featured, along with a discussion of why thousands of acres should be saved from urban sprawl. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of South Orange County, 25801 Obrero Drive in Mission Viejo. Information: (949) 661-9505 or (949) 631-3140.

Back to the Past--The lifestyle and culture of the California Indians, who strove to preserve the natural environment, will be explored during a program June 14 for children 7 to 12, presented by the Oak Canyon Nature Center. Activities include storytelling, studying native plants, tasting fry bread and making decorative items. Hours are 1 to 3 p.m. and cost is $6.50. Preregistration is suggested. 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.