Hands-on habitat restoration activities are a great opportunity for the public to be involved in a meaningful way here at the Bay without making any long-term volunteer commitment. Service learning hours are available for students and groups are welcome. During the rainy season, native plants are planted. At other times of the year the activities are more maintenance oriented, and include removal of non-native plants and temporary watering of the new natives. Participants are also taught why these activities are so important to the long-term protection of the Bay. All restoration activities are planned by Newport Bay Conservancy, Project Grow, Orange County Parks or City of Newport Beach, with the support of NBC Volunteers.
ASL Restoration
Newport Bay Conservancy received funding from US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Orange County Community Foundation for a 5-year project to eliminate invasive Algerian Sea Lavender (ASL) from the Bay. Volunteer groups go out to remove the plant either by hand pulling or covering dense areas with black plastic sheeting on Wednesday mornings. For information or to reserve your place, please contact Newport Bay Conservancy’s Restoration Manager, Alys Arenas at alys.arenas@newportbay.org. All participants must sign an online waiver prior to attending. For those under 18, this must be signed by a parent or guardian.
Big Canyon Restoration
Join us on Thursday mornings for restoration in Big Canyon, 9am-12pm. In 2021, the Big Canyon nature park was cleared of invasive pepper trees and restored with a mosaic of over 11,000 native plants. Volunteers help to protect the native plant installments by removing non-native plant species. Volunteers can also expect to come away from the event knowing more about native habitats, restoration, and watershed stewardship. Non-native plant removal occurs nearly year-round, and plants are installed in the rainy season. To reserve your space, visit RestoreBigCanyon.eventbrite.com.
Bayview Restoration
Newport Bay Conservancy received funding from US Fish & Wildlife Service, City of Newport Beach and R.E.I to restore some of the upper and lower part of the Bayview area of the Bay. Restoration takes place on selected Friday mornings each month. For information or to reserve your place, please contact Newport Bay Conservancy at (949) 923-2269 or info@newportbay.org. A signed waiver is needed for each participant. For those under 18, this must be signed by a parent or guardian.
Project Grow
Hosted by Project Grow, the public can participate in restoration activities on selected Saturdays (ROOTS in Newport Valley) or Wednesdays (Steward Days in the Native Plant Nursery at the Back Bay Science Center) mornings. Under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. For information or to reserve your place, please contact Matt Yurko, Coordinator, at (949) 640-0286 or myurko@projectgrowca.org. A signed waiver is needed for each participant. For those under 18, this must be signed by a parent or guardian.
Second Sundays
Join Orange County Parks Staff at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center on the second Sunday of each month from 9am-12pm to enhance the Nature Preserve habitat for local wildlife. Activities may include non-native plant removal, planting natives, watering, trash cleanup, and Butterfly Garden maintenance. No experience is necessary; please bring a hat, sunscreen, snacks, etc. Water and tools are provided. All ages are welcome. Under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To reserve your place, visit letsgooutside.org. For more information you can also contact OC Parks at 949-923-2295 or unbic@ocparks.com. A signed waiver is needed for each participant. For those under 18, this must be signed by a parent or guardian.
Cleanups
Hosted between September and February when the bird breeding season is over we organize many mini trash cleanup events both from kayaks and from land in partnership with various local organizations. Bring yourself, some friends/family, and help us clean the Bay, especially after major rain events. For these events, everything is provided but make sure to wear close-toed shoes (long, rubber boot are great) and pants that you don’t mind getting a little muddy. These events can be found on eventbrite.
For other activities with Orange County Parks, visit Let’sGoOutside.org and search “stewardship” or “trail work”. Restoration events are offered throughout the county that an individual or group may participate in.
