AUDUBON SOCIETY PROGRAMS

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Programs. 949-5454, ext. 3041; www.asri.org. Advance registration.

•Today. Wildflower Walk, Marion Eppley Wildlife Sanctuary, Dugway Bridge Road, West Kingston. Learn to identify wildflowers using Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Walk through woodlands and around a cedar swamp, through acres of laurel and rhododendron. 1-3 pm. $12, children $6; members $8, $4. Ages 10+.

•June 11. Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory Day Trip, South Deerfield, Mass. Participants explore the enclosed atrium as well as the gardens outside (weather permitting), with Audubon guide Kim Calcagno leading a discussion on butterfly biology and behaviors. Lunch at the facility’s Monarchs Restaurant. Bring camera. Audubon’s Ecotour Van leaves from the Powder Mills Ledges Refuge, 12 Sanderson Rd. (Routes 44 and 5), Smithfield. 10 am-5 pm. $45, members $40; includes transportation, admission and lunch (up t $15). Ages 8+.

•June 13. Family Nighttime Exploration, Parker Woodland Refuge, Maple Valley Road, Coventry. Program designed to give families a sense of what it is like to be a nocturnal animal. Participants look for bats, deer and coyotes before dark. Games and activities that explain night vision and how different animals travel and hunt at night take place as darkness falls. Children as young as five welcome. Bring a flashlight. 8-9:30 pm. $12, children $6; $8, children $4.

•June 14. Breakfast on the Blackstone River Cruise. River cruise aboard the Blackstone Valley Explorer. Sip coffee, juice and sample baked goods while searching for wildlife in the marsh and along the river. Bring binoculars. Leaves from the Explorer Dock, Central Falls. 8:30-9:30 am. $20, children $10; members $15, $8.

•June 15. Birds and Blossoms, Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, Matunuck Schoolhouse Road, South Kingstown. Exploration of the refuge’s many varied habitats. Search for birds and wildflowers. 8-10 am. $12, children $6; members $8, $4.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

June 11. New Dawn Earth Center Program: Ponding for Preschoolers, 75 Wrentham Rd., Cumberland. 333-1341; www.newdawnearthcenter.org. Adults and children use a net to discover what lives in these waters including tadpoles, frogs, whirligig beetles and more. 8 pm. Rain date Wed.

June 15. 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. $6, 65+ $5, children 4-12 $4, children under 4/ASRI members free.

EXHIBITS

Through Sept. 1. Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom, Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. 785-3510; www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org. New walk-through exhibit is set inside a 2,100-square-foot greenhouse landscaped with butterfly-friendly flowers and nectar plants and featuring about 500 butterflies (North American species), offering visitors a close encounter. Daily 9:30 am-4:30 pm. $3, children 3-12 $2 in addition to zoo admission ($12, seniors $8, children 3-12 $6).

Through Oct. 13. Green Animals Topiary Garden, 380 Cory’s Lane (off Route 114), Portsmouth. 847-1000. 80 pieces of topiary, including geometric figures, ornamental design, 21 animals, birds; fruit and vegetable gardens, plant shop, picnic tables. Victorian toy museum in main residence. Self-guided garden tours daily 10 am-5 pm. $11, children 6-17 $4.

GARDEN PROGRAMS

June 8. Native Plant Sale and “Invasive” Art Exhibit, Massachusetts Audubon’s Moose Hill Wildlife Refuge, 293 Moose Hill St., Sharon, Mass. (781) 784-5691 or e-mail moosehill@massaudubon.org. Large variety of native plants and wildflowers including plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, some that are almost impossible to kill and a selection of ferns and shrubs. Individual plants for sale for most species ($5-$7). 9 am-4 pm. Opening of Alien Invasives, exhibit by artist Marcella Stasa who has gathered local nonnative plants to create art compositions that show the natural world and its struggle for survival, noon-4 pm. Workshop, A Hands-on Workshop: Collaborating with Nature, 1:30 pm; participants can identify and gather invasive plants to create their own artworks; geared for adults and children; free, but advance registration is necessary. Benefit for the sanctuary’s educational programs.

June 8. Roger Williams Park Botanical Center Program: A Touch of the Tropics: Dalrymple Boathouse, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. 785-9450. Learn how to use tropical plants like bananas and cannas to dress up difficult areas. Plants available for purchase. 1-2 pm. $25. Advance registration.

June 8-9. Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts’ Mass Gardens on Tours 2008. (781) 237-0336; www.gcfm.org. Tours in Manchester, Gloucester, Beverly, Ipswich and Rowley, June 8-9. Tours starts at noon each day. $30 ticket admits holder to all gardens on all days. Learning Tour, a specialty tour offering a morning in one garden accompanied by an expert on that garden; $45, includes a continental breakfast and entry to other gardens open in the region of tour in the afternoon.

June 10-Aug. 29. University of Rhode Summer Gardening School (4th annual). (800) 448-1011 or e-mail gardener@etal.uri.edu. Informal series of six outdoor sessions designed to provide gardeners with useful gardening tips and a thorough understanding of a wide range of gardening topics from perennial garden management to the basics of composting. Sessions taught by URI Master Gardeners, Outreach Center staff and other experts. Most sessions held at the URI Island Botanical Gardens, 3 East Alumnae Ave.), and URI’s East Farm Research Facility, Route 108, both in Kingston. Tuesdays, June 10, 17, July 15, 29, Aug. 5 and 29, 6-7:30 pm. Participants may attend as many sessions as they wish and need not attend the entire series. Advance registration.

•June 10. Rosology 101 — How to Grow Great Roses. Everything you need to know including six easy-to-follow steps that take the mystery our of rose gardening. Plenty of tips from certified URI Master Gardener/Rosarian, Mike Chute.

•June 17. Perennial Management. Learn sustainable techniques for efficient garden management and some design tips, too, including how to avoid common problems and use ironclad perennials to minimize management headaches. With Roseanne Sherry, URI State Master Gardener Coordinator.

June 14. Lecture/Workshop: Strawberry Festival, Young Family Farm, 260 West Main Rd., Little Compton. 635-0110, 339-7460. 10 am. Free.

June 14. Ocean State Orchid Society Orchid Plant Auction, Rocky Hill Grange, 1340 South County Trail (Route 2), East Greenwich. www.oceanstateorchidsociety.org. Unusual orchids from the Redland International Orchid Festival, Green River Orchids and Hawaii. Preview noon, auction 12:30 pm. Raffle, refreshments. Free admission.

June 14. Secret Gardens of Guilford Tour (14th annual), Guilford, Conn. Stroll through historic town and see vibrant floral displays in private gardens. One garden incorporates plantings that emulate the feel of native growth thriving along the Connecticut shore. Another small, intimate, in town garden centers around a succession of perennials including roses and hydrangeas, while a third garden has evolved over the past 30 years from hardy fields of perennials. 10 am-4 pm. Advance $15; day of $20, available at northwest corner of the Guildford Green, where tour begins. Benefit for Guildford ABC (A Better Chance) Program.

June 14-15. Garden and Antiques Fair (2nd annual), Mount Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol. 273-5550. Exhibits by 40 Northeast dealers. Displays of furnishings, decorations for the home and garden. 10 am-4 pm $10. Early buyers admission June 14 at 9 am, $20.

LECTURE

June 11. What’s Wrong With Right Whales?, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Kettle Pond Visitors’ Center, 50 Bend Rd., Charlestown. 364-9124. Bob Kenney, a member of the research faculty at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, discusses why right whales are one of the most endangered mammals in the world and what is being done to help them survive. 7 pm. Free; donations accepted to benefit the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island. Part of the Wildlife Wednesday Lecture Series.

NATURE PROGRAMS

June 8. Trustees of Reservations Bird Walk, East Over Reservation, Clapp Road, Rochester, Mass. (508) 679-2115, ext. 11; www.thetrustees.org. Explore newly protected landscape and its avian residents with bird expert Bill Gill. Fields provide ideal habitat for bobolinks, bluebirds, orioles and other grassland birds. 7 am. Free. Bring binoculars.

June 8. World Ocean Day Paddle Trip, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Program, 109 Pequotsepos Rd., Mystic, Conn. (860) 536-1216; www.dpnc.org. Five-mile paddle from Noank to Quiambog Cove, Stonington, and around parts of Masons Island, with a vehicle shuttle for the return. Plan to see sea bird nesting areas along the way. Meet at Noank Town Beach, bottom of Main Street. Bring your own kayak or canoe. 1-4 pm. $18, members $15.

June 10. New Dawn Earth Center Program: Ponding for Adults, 75 Wrentham Rd., Cumberland. 333-1341; www.newdawnearthcenter.org. Discover animal life above and within the pond and possibly catch a frog. 8 pm. Rain date:+ June 11.

June 14. Save the Bay Ultimate Lighthouse Tour. 272-3540; www.savebay.org. Explore the lighthouses of Narragansett Bay aboard the Alletta Morris. Sail down the West Passage to Newport and return home via East Passage viewing more than a dozen active and inactive lighthouses. Cruise departs from the Save the Bay Center, 100 Save the Bay Drive, Providence, 9 am; returns 4 pm. Lunch, binoculars provided. Bring hat, sunscreen and light outerwear. $100, members $85. Advance reservations. Cruise not deterred by light rain.

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.

June 8. Animal Planet Expo, Goddard Memorial State Park, 1095 Ives Rd., Warwick. Celebration of the important role animals play on this planet. Interactive exhibits and entertainment including exotic live animal presentations, Planet Green Frisbee, Frisbee dog stunts; Pet Den, Purina Dog Park, ROAR For Saving the Planet and games. Activity pavilions include Animal House, Safari Snaps, Bug House, Kids’ Zone, Heroes of the Animal Planet, Connection Zone, Spider Mountain and Pet Misers and Watering Holes. 10 am-4 pm.

June 8. Apeiron Institute’s Sustainable Living Festival & Clean Energy Expo, The Apeiron Institute, 451 Hammet Rd., Coventry. 228-7930; www.apeiron.org. All-day festival featuring workshops and activities for children and adults; children’s area; more than 80 vendors; a “green” shopping area where you can find information and hard-to-find items; music by local and regional artists; food vendors. 10 am-6 pm.

June 26-Aug. 12. Massachusetts Agriculture Educational Workshops on the Farm for Educators. 9 am-3 pm. All sessions in Massachusetts unless otherwise noted.

•June 26. Organic Gardening at the School and Farm, Holly Hill Farm, Cohasset.

•July 1. Open Space and Farmland Protection, Doyle Conservation Center of The Trustees of Reservations, Leominster.

•July 2. Buying Local, Cooper’s Farm and Breezy Gardens, Leicester.

•July 8. Grazing, Pasture and Pasture Crops for Biofuels, University of Massachusetts Crop and Animal Science Research Education Farm, South Deerfield.

•July 10. Horticultural Therapy Adaptations, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown.

•July 16. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture, Then and Now: Everything Old is New Again, Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield.

•July 17. Dairy Farming, Milk and Ice Production, Shaw Farm, Dracut.

•July 23. Chickens, Embryology and Heritage Breeds, Diemand Egg Farm, Miller’s Falls.

•July 24. Pollination, Beekeeping and Fruits and Vegetables, Meadowbrook Orchards, Sterling.

•July 31. Local Foods and Global Connections to the Foods We Eat, Manda Farm, Plainfield.

•Aug. 6. Heritage Breeds, Heirloom Seeds, Local Foods and Sustainable Agriculture, Moon in the Pond Farm, Sheffield.

•Aug. 7. Soils, Farm Viability and Agricultural Entertainment, Randall’s Farm, Ludlow.

•Aug. 12. Dairy Goats, Ruminants and Making Goat Cheese, Cote’s Farm, Pascoag, RI.