AUDUBON SOCIETY PROGRAMS

Audubon Society of Rhode Island. 949-5454, ext. 3041, www.asri.org. Advance registration for all programs.

•May 12. Spring Birding Van Trips, from Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Rd., Routes 44 and 5, Smithfield. Tour the state and visit the hottest spots in search of colorful warblers, vireos, hawks, shorebirds and more. Learn about birds and the best birding location in Rhode Island. 7 am-4 pm. $45, members $35. Ages 12+.

•May 13. Bird Walk. With Mary Jo Murray and Phil Budlong. Leaves from Charlestown Mini-Super, Route 1A, Charlestown. 8 am. 783-9191 or e-mail blp8391@yahoo.com.

•May 14. Browning Mill Pond, Arcadia Management Area, Exeter. Explore the pond edge and wetlands for warblers, tanagers and flycatchers. 8-10 am. $5, members free.

•May 17. Birdathon. Spend an hour, a morning or a day bird watching while raising funds to protect bird habitats.

•May 17. Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Rd., Smithfield. Introduction to Common Birds and Their Songs. Introductory class in bird identification. Participants will learn about birds they are likely to see in local landscapes and learn to identify their songs then take leisurely bird walks on the refuge trails. 10 am-noon. $8, members $5. 12+.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. 245-7500; www.asri.org. $6, 65+ $5, children 4-12 $4, children under 4 and ASRI members free.

•May 11. Tales and Trails, Audubon Society of Rhode Island Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. 245-7500; www.asri.org. Interactive nature story followed by an investigative exploration of the refuge trails. Discover insects, native plants, habitats, marine life and more. Designed for families with children 7 and younger.12:30-1:30 pm. Free with admission.

•May 17. Species Spotlight. Join naturalist Bryan Wigginton and learn about animals of the bay, owls of Rhode Island, reptiles and more. Nature hike and live animal presentation, weather and conditions permitting. 1 pm. Free with admission.

GARDEN PROGRAMS

Blithewold Garden Programs, Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum, 101 Ferry Rd., Route 114, Bristol. 253-2707; www.blithewold.org.

•May 11. Open Greenhouse. 1-4 pm. Included with admission: $10, seniors/full time students $8, free for visitors 16 and younger accompanied by an adult.

•May 17. Bamboo Trellis Workshop. Blithewold grounds manager, Fred Perry, gives a brief history of bamboo, discusses its creative applications in the garden and highlights popular trellis and support designs. Perry will also demonstrate stalk preparation, fastening techniques and the trellis building process and participants will build their own trellis out of bamboo harvested from Blithewold. 10 am-noon. $25, members $30. All materials provided. Advance registration.

Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Rd. (Route 1A), Saunderstown. 295-1030; www.historicnewengland.org. 18th-century homestead overlooking Narragansett Bay.

•May 11. Plant Sale and Open House. Vegetable, flower and herb plants, children’s activities. 8 am-4 pm. Free house museum tours after 10 am.

•May 17. Coastal Growers’ Market Opens. Local produce, meat, flowers, bread, seafood, cheese and more. Season will feature children’s activities, yoga classes, alpaca visits, chef and craft demonstrations. 9 am-noon. For schedule of events, visit www.coastalmarket.org.

May 13. Low-Maintenance Gardening Program, South Kingstown Parks and Recreation, Tri-Pond Nature Center, Tri-Pond Park Nature Center, Asapond Road (off Curtis Corner Road), South Kingstown. 789-9301; southkingstownri.com/parksrec. Participants will learn low maintenance techniques like weed suppression, proper staking and water conservation techniques. Bring garden gloves and eye protection. Learn the 6-7:30 pm. Advance registration.

May 17. Foliage Plants with Color, Texture and a Long Season of Interest, Tranquil Lake Nursery, 45 River St., Rehoboth. (508) 252-4002; www.tranquil-lake.com. Warren Leach, landscape horticulturist/co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery, explores a diverse palette of perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees with foliage that add interesting architecture, structure, texture, form, pattern and freshness to the sunny or shady border through the summer and into the fall. He will offer designs tips to help make pleasing plant combinations using complementary foliage and texture for a long season of garden interest. 11 am. Free.

May 17. Garden Club of Buzzards Bay “Gardening For All Seasons” Plant Sale, St. Mary’s Church Parish Center, 783 Dartmouth St., South Dartmouth, Mass. (508) 991-6844. 9 am-noon.

May 17. Garden Thyme Program: Trash Into Treasure, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Rd., Sturbridge, Mass. (800) 733-1830; www.osv.org. 10 am.

May 17. Lecture/Workshop: ABC’s of Veggie Gardening, Young Family Farm, 260 West Main Rd., Little Compton. 635-0110, 339-7460. 10 am. Free.

May 17-18. Southside Community Land Trust Rare and Unusual Plant Sale (16th annual), City Farm, Dudley and West Clifford Streets, Providence. 273-9419; www.southsideclt.org. More than 14,000 organically raised plants available including culinary and medicinal herbs for kitchen windowsill gardens; vegetables for backyard and container gardens; flowering annuals; assortment of perennials for window boxes, flowerbeds and rooftop gardens. Rare and unusual plants available in limited quantities and are available for sale on a first-come, first-served basis. 10 am-2 pm. Free admission. Benefit for SCLT’s mission to help people grow their own food.

Roger Williams Park Botanical Center Programs, Dalrymple Boathouse, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. 785-9450. Advance registration.

•May 17. Gardening Secrets. Workshops focuses on easy planting methods, tools to use, time-saving tricks and some relaxation techniques. 9 am-noon. $45; includes all materials. Part of the KISS & Tell: Secrets of a No Fuss Gardener series.

•May 17. Can You Dig It? A Tree and Shrub Planting Workshop. Hands-on workshop focuses on the right way to plant and maintain a variety of woody ornamental plants. Students will participate in the installation of both balled and burlapped and containerized specimens on the botanical Center grounds. Brian Maynard, workshop instructor, discusses how to select a healthy plant, the principles of root pruning and girdling roots and the correct techniques for bracing and mulching. 1-3 pm. $20. Dress for the weather. Be prepared to get dirty.

•May 18. Next Sun. A Safe (!!!) Introduction to Carnivorous Plants. John Phillip Jr., founder and president of the New England Carnivorous Plant Society, discusses carnivorous plants and shows how easy it is to cultivate and maintain them, reviews their general care and preferred environment and dispels common myths about their feeding needs and habits. Each adult participant will take home a specimen plant, complete with care instructions to successfully raise his or her plant. Each adult registered for this program is invited to bring one child with them (ages 14 and younger) at no additional charge. 1-2:30 pm. $25, includes materials.

May 18. Flower Power, Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham, Mass. (508) 877-7630; www.newenglandWILD.org. Children and an adult companion learn the features of flowers. . 1:30-3:30 pm. $9, members $7. Advance registration.

May 18. Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 900 Washington St. (Route 16), Wellesley, Mass. (617) 933-4900. 10 am-3 pm. $5 per vehicle.

•Society Row Plant Sale. “Ask the Experts” as can add to your collection of rare and unusual plants sold by the growers themselves.

•American Rhododendron Society Sale and Truss Show in the Manor House. Silent auction.

NATURE PROGRAMS

Nature Conservancy Programs, Carter Preserve, Route 112, Charlestown. 529-1072 or e-mail tmooney@tnc.org. Call to register. Free.

•May 11. Mother’s Day Nature Walk. 2.5-mile walk through dry oak woods and forested wetlands, with stops to look for early wildflowers and listen for returning songbirds. Meet in parking lot. 2:30 pm.

•May 18. International Migratory Bird Walk. Two-mile walk featuring warblers, thrushes and vireos, all returning to Rhode Island for the summer. Bring binoculars and your favorite bird identification book. Meet in parking lot on Old Mill Road. 9 am.

New Dawn Earth Center Programs, 75 Wrentham Rd., Cumberland. 333-1341; newdawnearthcenter.org. Advance registration.

•May 15. Minimize Our Carbon Footprint. Program about our impact on global climate change. 7-8:15 pm. $6.

•May 17. An Evening Meandering. Hike through the woods to the top of the hill to watch the sunset, a rising nearly full moon, new leaves and listen to bluebirds and frogs. 7-8:30 pm. Rain date: SunMay 18. $5, family $18.

May 17. South Kingstown Parks and Recreation Program. Beachcomers: Exploring the Shorelines. Meet at East Beach, 950 Succotash Rd., South Kingstown, last parking lot (blue shutters). 789-9301; www.southkinstownri.com/parksrec. Program begins with a discussion about and specimen display of some items found along the Rhode Island coast, followed by a hunt for “treasure” and a show and tell. 12:30-2 pm. $15, South Kingstown residents $12. Program for families with children ages 7 and older. All registered youth must be accompanied by a registered adult. Advance registration. Rain date May 18.

May 17. Spring Bird Walk, Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. 785-9457; www.providenceri.com/museum/. Scope out spring migrants as they arrive from their wintering grounds. See and hear wood ducks, orioles, red-tailed hawks, gnatcatchers and warblers. 9:30 am. Advance registration. For ages 4+. $5 family; members free.

May 18. Rhode Island Wild Plant Society Walk: Habitat Changes and the Forest, Sprague Farm, Pine Orchard Road, Chepachet. www.riwps.org. or e-mail office@riwps.org. Thousand-plus acre preserve includes striped maple, chestnut oaks and an Atlantic white cedar swamp. Walk may include sightings of spring ephemerals in bloom. 1 pm. $5, members $3. Register with walk leader Gary Plunkett at 624-2549.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

Save the Bay. 272-3540, ext. 130; www.savebay.org.

Volunteers needed:

•Collection Team. Volunteers to assist the Exploration Center Aquarist in collection of invertebrates such as sea stars, lobsters, crabs, urchin and vertebrates such as fish, mainly by seining.

•Eelgrass Volunteers. Help restore this critical marine habitat in Narragansett Bay. For the harvest: scuba divers remove eelgrass from the sediment using garden trowels and fill catch bags. Kayakers take bags of eelgrass from the divers and transport them to shore. Sorters work on shore separating sediment from the eelgrass, counting shoots and sorting eelgrass into bundles for transplant. For transplant: all volunteers must be willing to get in the water. Divers insert shoots into the sediment, using bamboo skewers as biodegradable staples to allow the shoots time to take root. In Water Diver Support hands eelgrass and bamboo skewers down to the divers and makes sure the entire process runs smoothly on surface. Kayakers transport equipment (weights, skewers, toggle buoys) to the divers and diver support.

•Summer Docents for Newport’s Exploration Center. STB docents are volunteer teachers who provide group learning experiences in the form of tours, demonstrations or instruction in special activity areas. Docents have the opportunity to teach and encourage visitors to protect, restore and explore Narragansett Bay.

ETC.

May 17-18. Eco Health and Fitness Expo, Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence. 454-3004. Local and national speakers, workshops and seminars; alternative and natural healthcare exhibitors. Learn, interact with new technology; get answers to your questions.