Nominate a property: The Providence Preservation Society is seeking the help of concerned residents, property owners, nonprofit agencies, neighborhood advocacy groups and others to assist in identifying Providence’s most threatened and endangered places. Begun in 1994, the society’s Most Endangered Properties List has served as a catalyst for sustainable development through the identification of threatened historic resources and the creation of a dialogue to find solutions.

To nominate an endangered or threatened property, call Sara Emmenecker, director of preservation services, at (401) 831-7440. To request a nomination form, e-mail semmenecker@ppsri.org or download one from the Web site www.ppsri.org.

Sprague Mansion celebrations: The Governor Sprague Mansion will host its second 2008 fundraising program to prepare for the 2009 Abraham Lincoln bicentennial celebration being planned across the country. A Living History Civil War Weekend will be held next weekend at the Governor Sprague Mansion, 1351 Cranston St., Cranston.

The mansion is Rhode Island’s primary Civil War historic site. Gov. William Sprague was Abraham Lincoln’s war governor at the outset of the Civil War. Sprague married Kate Chase, the daughter of Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln’s secretary of the treasury. The Spragues of Rhode Island were among the most prominent visitors at the White House during the war.

The events are cosponsored by the Rhode Island Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Elisha Dyer Camp 7-Rhode Island Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Auxiliary 2-R.I. Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

The Cranston Historical Society and Rhode Island’s oldest chapters of the Civil War historical organizations invite the public to participate in the following activities:

Saturday, July 19

•10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: A Civil War Living History Encampment opens at 10 a.m. Visitors can stroll through soldiers’ quarters and camp displays, attend demonstrations and hear music. At dusk, lanterns will be lit on the grounds of the mansion. Encampment donation for Saturday and Sunday is $3 for adults and $1 for students under 12.

•3 to 4 p.m.: A wine and cheese reception, followed by a special lecture by author/historian Leonard Panaggio, will be held inside the mansion. Panaggio will lecture on Lincoln’s Navy in the Civil War, commerce and history of the Newport Naval War College. Donation for the wine and cheese reception and lecture is $20 and includes a commemorative memento .

Sunday, July 20

•10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: The Civil War Living History Encampment continues.

•1 p.m.: A flag-raising ceremony will be held, followed by a tour of Sprague’s 1864 carriage house.

Wildlife rehabilitation course: The Department of Environmental Management’s division of fish and wildlife is offering the 11th annual International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council basic skills course at the University of Rhode Island on Oct. 11 and 12. The 15-hour course is a prerequisite to becoming a wildlife rehabilitator in Rhode Island and is designed for people seriously interested in the field.

Although the registration deadline is not until Sept. 12, the class is being advertised internationally via the Internet and is already half-filled. Registrants are strongly urged to reserve a spot and to have sufficient time to study and complete the homework assignments, for they must read the class manual and complete the assigned homework before the class begins. The class involves both classroom and laboratory sessions, and an exam will be given at the end of the course.

Those interested may register by calling the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council for the Kingston IAB Basic Skills Seminar at (408) 271-2685 weekdays; faxing (408) 271-9285; or online at www.iwrc-online.org, click on “training,” then “course schedule” to register. Questions may be e-mailed to info@iwrc-online.org. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $125 for council members and $159 for others.

For more information, contact Lori Gibson, supervising wildlife biologist at the Department of Environmental Management, weekdays at (401) 789-0281.

Meeting Street programs: Children in need of specialized therapeutic services may benefit from the fun and functional approach offered in Meeting Street’s group therapy classes scheduled for this summer. Sessions, led by Meeting Street therapists, are available for children who need physical, occupational and/or speech therapy. Children challenged with sensory processing disorder or autism can also get help in special sessions focused on their specific needs.

Sessions will be conducted at Meeting Street’s campus, 1000 Eddy St., Providence, where children meet in the gym, the playground, the library or the therapeutic pool. Fifteen different therapy groups are offered for children ages 3-11.

For a full description of sessions including times, dates and payment options, visit www.meetingstreet.org and look for therapeutic groups in the therapeutic services section or call (401) 533-9104.

Volunteers sought: Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships is seeking motivated and passionate women to help create systematic change for domestic violence victims and their families. Those interested in joining or for further information, call (401) 467-9940 or email www.soarinri.org.

Calendar men and women: Thirty Rhode Island residents have been selected to be part of the first annual Real Rhode Islander charity calendar. Those selected, 15 men and 15 women, will appear in two different official 2009 calendars whose sales will benefit the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

Contestants between the ages of 21 and 60 were judged during nearly 100 live interviews on the successes they portrayed, the goodness of their “inner being,” their positive impact on the community and their photogenic qualities. They had to live in Rhode Island to qualify, and many contestants, although not all, were either cancer survivors or had family members that suffered from the disease.

Those selected include Michael J Baccari, of Coventry; Cheryl Howard, Danny Poulos and Lareto Guglietta, of Cranston; Omar Meer, of East Providence; Carol Ventura and Bob Ventura, of Glocester; Gail Gutierres and Steven Capaldi, of Johnston; Cheryl Cusick and Jonathan Segal, of Narragansett; Jenny Vingi, of North Kingstown; Jane Bernardino, Jay Jones and Shane Michael Piche, of North Providence; Tracie Bourget, of Pawtucket; Andrew Reis, Jeffiey V. Leechman and Mallory Palumbo, of Providence; Spogga Hashway, of Richmond; Jasmine ZenMah, of Tiverton; Michelle Mitchell, of Wakefield; Ashley Flynn, Frank Pantaleo, Melissa Morales and Richard Cassella, of Warwick; Christina Pimentel and Giovanni Calise, of West Warwick; Yvonne Perez, of Westerly; and Shauna Fontaine, of Woonsocket.

Information on adoption: Adoption Options, a nonsectarian and nonprofit comprehensive adoption program of Jewish Family Service, will hold a free informational session Thursday for those considering adoption. The session will be from 6 to 7 p.m. at 959 North Main St., Providence.

For more information, call Peg Boyle at (401) 331-5437 or visit www.AdoptionOptions.org.