Nature group receives grant for needed cargo trailer

The Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends will receive a $10,000 grant during a ceremony at Newport’s Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center today, securing a much-needed cargo trailer the group will utilize to transport tools throughout project sites in Upper Newport Bay.

The grant, made available through the State Street IMS Irvine Philanthropy program, broadens opportunities for volunteers to participate in Newport Bay restoration, Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends President Dennis Baker said.

“This way, [we] can actually pull right up to a site, get everything [we] need right there, and allow a lot more people to get involved,” he said. Baker added that earlier restoration efforts had been restrained by a lack of such transportation.

The organization, which was formed in 2000, aims to restore and preserve the native habitat of Newport Bay, while educating the public about the importance of its local ecosystem.

Companies or individuals interested in underwriting or volunteering for the group’s projects are encouraged to contact Matt Yurko at (949) 640-0286.

— Chris Caesar