Blog

Annual Orangewood Adventure Challenge
04.21.21
Orangewood Foundation is hosting their Annual Orangewood Adventure Challenge on Saturday, April 24, and this time it’s taking place in our own backyard – at the Newport Dunes! The Orangewood Adventure Challenge is an exciting and fun multi-sport, team-based race in which teams of four individuals run, navigate, and tackle challenges along a course.
The event is about working, training, and competing together as a team, across a course that’s designed to test and push your limits. Each challenger donates $1,500 as an entry fee, and sets a goal to raise funds from family, friends, and colleagues that go toward helping foster and community youth thrive and prosper. Last year’s challenge raised over $320,000.
Want to become an event Sponsor? With several event sponsorship levels and benefits, this is also a great opportunity for companies to gain increased brand visibility, reach new clients or customers, community goodwill, and be part of one of Orange County’s most unique fundraising events. Farmers & Merchants Bank, Samueli Foundation, and Optima Tax are confirmed sponsors for this year’s Adventure Challenge. Info on sponsorship opportunities can be found here, and/or participants can also email Orangewood’s Corporate Relations Manager, Juliet Patino, at jpatino@orangewoodfoundation.org.
Blog

Ocean Institute Reopens Campus and Learning Spaces
04.21.21
Ocean Institute is welcoming the public back to their campus and learning spaces on April 10th. After a year of virtual and outdoor activities, the institute will open fully, including two new exhibits that enable visitors to explore local marine life in a hands-on and interactive way.
The Sahm Family Foundation Marine Education Center featuring shark encounters was slated to celebrate its grand opening on March 18th, 2020. Over a year later, the exhibit will open, allowing visitors to learn about shark anatomy, life cycles, research, and conservation, through artifacts, interactive demonstrations, and a beautiful horn shark touch tank.
Ocean Institute is also opening a new Marine Mammal exhibit in the Chambers Gallery. The exhibit features the ecological history of whales and dolphins and their place in our modern-day environment. Participants in weekend Marine Mammal Cruises will get exclusive access to the exhibit prior to departure.
In addition to new exhibits, the Ocean Institute staff and volunteers stand ready to guide visitors through a wide range of experiences. From squid dissections to panning for gold, from archeology and artifact explorations to “getting granular” with sand, from sounds of the sea to sea star feeding behaviors, from raising sails to lowering the mud grab, your Ocean Institute offers something for everyone.
Tidepool hikes, geology walks, and kayak tours continue to bring visitors to some of the most interesting and captivating spaces in the harbor and visitors can experience the wonders of native plants in the recently restored native plant garden with the naturalist team.
Land-based offerings are enhanced with Ocean Institute’s on-the-water programs. Visitors can become part of the crew while sailing on the Spirit of Dana Point or become an oceanographer for the day on the R/V Sea Explorer. Back on land, the newly redesigned gift shop offers souvenirs to commemorate your visit.
Ocean Institute is open to the public on weekends and non-school days from 11 a.m. -3 p.m. For more information and tickets to all Ocean Institute activities, please go to oceaninstitute.org, or call (949) 496-2274.
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