AUDUBON SOCIETY PROGRAMS

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

•Sept. 30. Bird Walk. Led by Phil Budlong. Meet at the Charlestown Mini-Super, Route 1A. 8 am. For details, e-mail Phil at blp8391@yahoo.com.

•Oct. 3-5. Block Island Birding Weekend. Birding experts lead field trips for both novice and advanced birders. Programs include salt marsh bird identification, banding demonstrations, wildflower identification and more. $450, members $420. 14+.

•Oct. 4. Watchaug Pond Nature Hike, Kimball Wildlife Refuge, 180 Sanctuary Rd., Watchaug Pond off Prossner Trail, Charlestown. 949-5454, ext. 3041; www.asri.org. Leisurely walk around Watchaug Pond through the Burlingame Management Area and along the Vin Gormley Trail, which leads through a variety of habitats (oak, pine woods, cedar swamp and fern-covered ledges). Look for fall colors and migrating birds on this six-mile walk with stops for lunch and to look at everything of interest along the way. Bring walking shoes, water, lunch and favorite trail mix. 10 am-2 pm. Advance registration.

•Oct. 5, 12, 26. Audubon Walking Club, Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. Walks on the center trail and the East Bay Bike Path designed to promote fitness and appreciation of nature. 10-11 am. $12, ASRI members $10, for six-week series.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

ASRI Environmental Education Center Programs, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. 245-7500; www.asri.org. $6; $5 ages 65+; $4 children 4-12; children under 4 and ASRI members free. Programs are free with admission unless noted otherwise and are for ages 3+. Advance registration.

•Oct. 2-3. Preschool Story Time. Reading of Gilbert the Great: A Shark Story, by Jane Clark, with hands-on activities followed by a nature craft. Adults must accompany children.

•Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26. Sensational Sundays. Interactive family activities that introduce children to the wonders of nature. Activities may include nature stories, outdoor exploration (weather permitting), games, crafts, songs, more. 12:30 pm. For ages up to 8.

EXHIBITS

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

Through Oct. 12. Coming Home to Nature: Photography by Branden Michaux, Audubon Society of Rhode Island Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. 245-7500; www.asri.org. Daily 9 am-5 pm. Free with center admission. $6, 65+ $5, children 4-12 $4, children under 4 and ASRI members free.

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.

Through Oct. 27. Nature Day at Pardon Gray, Tiverton Town Hall, 343 Highland Rd., Tiverton. Works by student photographers of the preserve’s natural wonders. Mon-Fri 8:30 am-4 pm.

Through Oct. 31. Big Bugs Sculpture Exhibit and Web-of-Life Extravaganza, New England Wild Flower Society’s Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham, Mass. (508) 877-7630; www.newenglandwild.org. David Rogers’ dino-sized sculptures on 45 acres with 1,500 varieties of native plants. Daily 9 am-7 pm. $8, seniors/students $6, youth 3-18 $4; members/children 2 and younger free.

Through Dec. 31. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Rd., Sturbridge, Mass. Taking Root: The Growing Business of Gardening in Pots in the 1800s, exhibit invites exploration of the art and business of gardening in flowerpots in 19th-Century New England. Daily 9:30 am-5 pm. Free with village admission. $20, 65+ $18, youth $6, children 2 and younger free. Special event: Agricultural Fair, Sept. 28. Old-fashioned agricultural fair with a display of heirloom vegetables and other agricultural accomplishments. Visitors can meet the village oxen, ride in an oxcart and try their hand at plowing. No fee beyond village admission.

GARDEN PROGRAMS

Oct. 2. Southside Community Landtrust Seed of Hope Tours. 273-9419; www.southsideclt.org. Tour City Farm and the Somerset Community Garden, Providence, and learn about SCLT programs. Thu 6:30 pm. Advance registration.

Oct. 4. Fall Gardening Festival, Tranquil Lake Nursery, 45 River St., Rehoboth. (508) 252-4002; www.tranquil-lake.com. 10 am-4 pm. Free.

•10 am. Constructing a Rain Garden. With Tom Driscoll and Craig Wheeler, landscape crew, Tranquil Lake Nursery.

•10:30 am. Creating an Entry Garden Filled with Shrubs, Perennials, Pots and More. With Warren Leach, horticulturist and co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery.

•11 am. Stone Wall & Stone Sea Construction. Landscape crew. Workshop on-going throughout the day.

•11:30 am. Propagating and Overwintering Tender Perennials and Annuals. With gardener Gilbert Moore.

•Noon. Favorite Late Season Daylilies at Tranquil Lake Nursery. With Philip Boucher, horticulturist/co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery.

•12:30 pm. Designing and Creating Garden Mosaics. With Deb Aldo, landscape designer/mosaic artist, Pietro Dure Design, Conn.

•1 pm. Favorite Succulents for the Sunny Window. Debi Hogan, horticulturist.

•1:30 pm. Combining Perennials, Shrubs, Vines and Groundcovers in the Mixed Border. With Warren Leach.

•2 pm. Propagating and Overwintering Tender Perennials and Annuals. With gardener Gilbert Moore.

•2:30 pm. Planting the Rain Garden. With horticulturist Warren Leach.

•3 pm. Dividing Perennials and Other Fall Chores and Garden Tasks to Prepare for Winter. With Philip Boucher.

LECTURES

Sept. 30. Lecture: Hollywood Armageddon, University of Rhode Island, Chafee Public Library, Kingston. 874-2853; www.zman@foundation.uri.edu. URI professors Kathryn Moran, oceanography, and Tom Zorabedian, film media and communication studies, examine film clips from nightmare narratives through their respective lenses of science and film. 7:30 pm. Part of the University of Rhode Island Honors Colloquium, People and Planet — Global Environmental Change.

NATURE PROGRAMS

Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Programs, 109 Pequotsepos Rd., Mystic, Conn. (860) 536-1216; www.dpnc.org. Advance registration.

•Sept. 28. Wild Mushroom Festival (7th annual). 10 am-noon. Taste fresh, delicious mushroom dishes prepared by chefs from the area’s restaurants, enjoy live music beer, wine and juice. Mushroom identification walks or earn about mushroom anatomy under a microscope. 2-6 pm. $15, members $12.50.

•Oct. 4. Fall Birding and Hawk Watching at Napatree Point. If weather is not suitable for hawk watching, participants will walk the beach to look for migrant shorebirds and songbirds. Meet at the Napatree Point entrance, Watch Hill, Westerly. 8 am. Bring binoculars.

•Oct. 5. Lantern Hill Hike. Meet at the trailhead on Wintechog Hill Road and hike to the top of Lantern Hill for great views over the Mystic River Valley and Long Island Sound. Depending on the wind and weather, hikers may see migrating hawks, resident ravens or vultures. 2-2:30 pm. Free.

Sept. 28. Off the Beaten Path Guided Tour, Watson Farm, 455 North Rd., Jamestown. 423-0005; www.historicnewengland.org. Don and Heather Minto, farm managers, lead a walk and share their research, experiences and stories as they take participants on a two-mile scenic hike through the seaside agrarian landscape which includes farm fields, pastures and rocky shoreline. 2 pm. $8, members $3.

Oct. 2. Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association (WPWA) Fall Foliage Canoe and Kayak Trip. Begins at the Barberville Fishing and Canoe Access, 203 Arcadia Rd., Hope Valley. 539-9017 or e-mail Danielle@wpwa.org. 5 pm. $10, WPWA members $5. Kayaks, paddles and personal flotation devices available for $5 per person; PFDs and proper footwear are mandatory. Advance registration a must.

Oct. 4. Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council Afternoon Paddle on Woonasquatucket Reservoir (Stump Pond). Put in on the west side of the Woonasquatucket Reservoir, Smithfield, and paddle to the north end, where the Woonasquatucket River flows into the reservoir in Mowry Conservation Area for a picnic (bring your own lunch). After, possibly explore the southern arm towards Mountaindale Reservoir. Trip is about 2 ½ miles long, not including the southern arm. Children welcome if accompanied an adult. Some canoes/kayaks available or bring your own. Must have a lifejacket for everyone in the boat. $10 per person suggested donation for use of boat; other donations welcome. 11 am. Advance registration. 351-5747.

ETC.

Sept. 28, Oct. 4. Rhode Island Lighthouse Tour. 295-4040; www.rhodeislandbaycruises.com. 30-mile, narrated tour through lower Narragansett Bay aboard the 400-passenger Millennium. View 10 lighthouses, 10 islands and sail under the Jamestown and Newport bridges. Narrated facts and folklore provided by historian Arthur Strauss. Departs from Quonset Point, 1347 Roger Williams Way, North Kingstown. 1 pm. $25, seniors $22, children 11 and younger $14; group rates. Advance reservations recommended.

Sept. 28. Phantom Farms, 2920 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland. 333-2240; www.phantomfarms.com. Mon-Fri 6:30 am-6:30 pm, Sat-Sun 7 am-6 pm. Special programs: Apple Harvest Festival, today10 am-4 pm; featuring pick-your-own-apples, Audubon Society of Rhode Island story time at 1 pm, and live music 1-3 pm. Fall Foliage Weekend, featuring pick-your-own-apples, Sat-next Sun, with live music 1-3 pm.

Oct. 4. Astronomical Society of Southern New England (ASSNE) National Fall Astronomy Day Open House, University of Massachusetts Observatory, (508) 999-8715; www.assne.org. Visitors view through the observatory’s 16-inch telescope and other large telescopes operated by ASSNE members, observing nebulae, Jupiter, Uranus, Newptune, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules and the Andromeda Galaxy. Astronomers will explain the sights visitors are observing. The visit culminates in the observatory dome where incredible views of the universe can be seen. Each object will be explained and questions will be answered. 7 pm. Free.

Oct. 4. 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.

Through Oct. 3. Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, off Matunuck Schoolhouse Road, South Kingstown. Closed for public safety reasons as part of an effort to control non-native invasive plants. Visitors may call the refuge office at (401) 364-9124 to confirm the exact timing of the closure and any scheduling changes due to unfavorable weather conditions.

FARMERS’ MARKETS

Aquidneck Growers’ Markets. 848-0099.

•909 East Main Rd. (Route 138), Middletown. Sat. 9 am-1 pm June-Oct.

•Memorial Boulevard, between Edgar and Chapel streets, Newport. Wed. 2-6 pm. June-Oct.

Armory Park, Parade Street, Providence. www.farmfreshri.org. Thurs. 4-7 pm June-Oct.

Algonquin House, 807 Broad St., Providence. www.farmfreshri.org. Sat. 9 am-1 pm July 12-Oct.

Barrington Farmers’ Market, Ace Hardware, 180 County Rd. 635-4274. Tues 2-6 pm .

Blackstone River Visitors Center Farmers’ Market, Route 295 North, Lincoln. 222-2781. Tue 2-6 pm. July-Oct.

Block Island Farmers’ Market, Negus Park. 466-2875. 9-11 am. June-Oct.

Burrillville Farmers’ Market, Austin T. Levy School, 135 Harrisville Main St., Harrisville. 568-9940. Sat. 9 am-noon. May-Oct.

Brown University Farmers’ Market, Wriston Quad, George and Thayer streets, Providence. 863-6509. Wed. 11 am-2 pm. Sept.-Nov.

Burnside Park, Washington Street, Providence. www.farmfreshri.org. Fri. 11 am-2 pm. June-Oct.

Capitol Hill Farmers’ Market, 1 Capitol Hill, Providence (across from State House). 222-2781. Thu. 11 am.-2 pm. July-Oct.

Coastal Growers’ Market, Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Rd., North Kingstown (Saunderstown). 295-1030; www.coastalmarket.org. Sat 9 am-noon. May-Oct.

Colt Park Farmers’ Market, Colt State Park, Route 114, Bristol. 222-2781. Fri 2-6 pm. May-Oct.

Fishermen’s Memorial Park Farmers’ Market, Fishermen Memorial Park, 1011 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett. 222-2781. Sun. 9 am.-1 pm. May-Oct.

Goddard Park Farmers’ Market, Goddard State Park, 1095 Ives Rd., Warwick. 222-2781. Fri 9 am-1 pm. May-Oct.

Haines Park Farmers’ Market, Haines Memorial State Park, Metropolitan Park Drive (Route 103), East Providence. 222-2781. Wed. 2-6 pm. May-Oct.

Hope High School, corner of Hope and Olney streets, Providence. www.farmfreshri.org. Sat. 9:30 am-12:30 pm. June-Oct.

Market at Daggett Farm, Slater Park, Pawtucket. 378-2765. Sat. 9 am-1 pm. July-Sept.

North Scituate Farmers’ Market, Scituate Village Green (Route 116), North Scituate. 647-5547. Sat. 9 am-1 pm. May-Sept.

Pastore Complex Farmers’ Market, Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, 1511 Pontiac Ave., Cranston. 222-2781. Fri. 10 am-2:30 pm. Rain or shine. July-Oct.

Pawtucket Farmers’ Market, Broadway and Exchange Street. 863-6509. Sun. noon-3 pm June 10-Oct.

Pawtuxet Village Farmers’ Market, Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston. 751-6038. Sat. 9 am-noon. May-Oct.

Burnside Park, Washington Street, Providence. www.farmfreshri.org. Fri. 11 am-2 pm. June-Oct.

Hope High School, corner of Hope and Olney streets, Providence. www.farmfreshri.org. Sat. 9:30 am-12:30 pm. June-Oct.

Richmond Farmers’ Market, Richmond Town Hall, 5 Richmond Townhouse Rd., Wyoming. 339-4282. Sat. 8:30 am-noon. May-Oct.

Sakonnet Growers Market, Pardon Gray Preserve, Main Road, Tiverton. 624-7490. Sat. 9 am-1 pm. July-Sept.

South Kingstown Farmers’ Markets. 294-6306.

•Marina Park, Salt Pond Road (off Route 1), Wakefield. Tue. 3-6 pm. May-Oct.

•University of Rhode Island, Route 138, Kingston. 294-6306. Sat. 8:30-noon. May-Oct.

Whole Foods Farmers’ Market

•University Heights, 601 North Main St., Providence. 621-5990. Mon. 3 pm-dusk. June-Nov.

•261 Waterman St., Providence. 272-1690. Mon. 3 pm-dusk. June-Nov.

•151 Sockanosset Cross Rd., Cranston. 621-5990. Tues. 3 pm-dusk. June-Oct.

Wickenden Street Farmers’ Market, 65 Brook St., Providence. 635-4274. Tue. 2-6 pm. June-Oct.

Woonsocket, Precious Blood Church, corner Carrington and Park avenues. www.farmfreshri.org. Mon. 9:30 am-12:30 pm. July-Oct.