Celebrate the wonders of our world

Alex Coolman

Like a finicky gourmet adjusting the level of seasoning in a pot-au-feu,

Nicole Proctor dropped a careful pinch of sterilized compost into the

dish she was preparing.

The 10-year-old Newport Beach resident was creating a delectable

casserole known as Back Bay Mud, an enticing blend of sand, shells,

organic matter and gypsum. Frowning slightly over her creation, she gave

it a careful stir with a plastic spoon and added a little more water.

Mud-making, Proctor said, was a highlight of her afternoon spent at

Shellmaker Island, where she enjoyed Earth Day festivities along with her

mother, Kirsten.

More than 1,000 people attended the day of environmental and educational

activities, Penny Atcha, a volunteer naturalist with the California

Department of Fish and Game, said. The event was sponsored by Newport Bay

Naturalists & Friends, OC Harbors, Beaches & Parks, California Department

of Fish & Game and the City of Newport Beach.

Adults were treated to demonstrations of alternate energy sources and

organic fertilizer. Younger environmentalists got to make mud and then

play in it.

Nicole said she also had a pleasant experience at the face-painting booth

-- her cheek was decorated with a colorful butterfly -- and had peered

through a microscope at a creature known as a “little worm thing.”

“It was a mini sea worm,” clarified Nicole’s friend Adam Reebe, 11.

The centerpiece of the day was a ceremony honoring Newport Beach

residents Jack and Nancy Skinner for their commitment to improving the

water quality of Newport Beach.

“I think the population as a whole has come around to recognize that it’s

so important to care for our environment,” Nancy said. “I don’t think

there was the same awareness many years ago.”

This year’s event stressed the need to explore alternatives to fossil

fuel. The PA system, which was used to announce the Skinners’ award, was

powered by solar electricity. The refrigerator and the popcorn machine

used to prepare food for the crowds were also solar powered.

Robert Siebert, a resident of Orange, whose solar cells were generating

all the power, said he had been getting a few questions from curious

festival goers about the costs of the equipment.

But none of the browsers, even on this Earth-conscious day, seemed quite

ready to go solar.

“People are very reluctant to take the plunge,” he said. “I’ve got to

find a way to make it easier to understand.”