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For the love of sea lions

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Julia Wolfe, 12, isn’t waiting for a degree in marine biology to start helping pinnipeds.

The Newport Beach resident chose to focus her bat mitzvah project on seals and sea lions by raising money for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. Julia, and her family, are hosting a Marine Mammal Rescue Fair on Sunday in their neighborhood park.

“I did camps [at PMMC] since I was really little,” she said. “I’ve always been interested in the animals and I thought that would be a good place to do it for.”

Julia, who started her first year at the Orange County High School of the Arts this week, attended the summer camp for four years and plans to keep going back.

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This summer, she had the chance to be more involved by cleaning out cages, making food and acting as a docent.

While she hasn’t been able to interact with the seals or sea lions — only adults are allowed to — she “absolutely loves them.”

“She just loves this place,” said her mother, Susanna Wolfe. “She’s always wanted to be a marine biologist.”

The fair will feature a bake sale, snow cones, face painting and a bounce house. Julia is also selling homemade seal necklaces.

Giving to others is nothing new for her, her parents said.

Julia held a lemonade stand to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and a bake sale after the tsunami in Japan, said her father, Stuart Wolfe.

Her bat mitzvah will continue the project, with centerpieces of baskets full of items to donate to the center, instead of flowers.

“I’d rather do something we can donate than spend a whole bunch of money on something we are going to throw away,” she said.

britney.barnes@latimes.com

Twitter: @britneyjbarnes

If You Go

What: Marine Mammal Rescue Fair to benefit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach

When: 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Bonita Canyon Community Park (not Bonita Canyon Sports Park)

Information: Enter the gated community at the Mesa View Road and Bonita Canyon Drive visitor’s entrance. Tell attendant you are there for the fair.

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