Another summer of expert presentations on Rhode Island’s natural world, called Wildlife Wednesdays, has been scheduled by the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center in Charlestown.

Each presentation will begin at 7 p.m. There are no admission charges, but donations will be accepted for the Friends group.

The presentations are offered by some of the state’s leading biologists and naturalists. For additional information, contact Dr. Robert D. Kenney at (401) 874-6664 or drbobk@verizon.net or Janis Nepshinsky at (401) 364-9124, ext. 28 or Janis_Nepshinsky@fws.gov.

Here is the schedule:

• June 10 – “Antarctica” with Prentice Stout, a veteran naturalist, photographer and marine educator. He will show a video about Antarctica and its creatures, based on a recent trip.

• June 17 – “Seals of Narragansett Bay,” by Prof. Bob Kenney, a marine mammal biologist at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. He will talk about harbor seals that live in the Bay from September to May and three other species that visit.

• June 24 – “Around the World Single-Handed: The Cruise of the Islander,” with Bill Wright, the grandson of Harry Pidgeon, the second person to sail alone around the world. He will be showing pictures from his grandfather’s voyage.

• July 1 – “Restoring Maritime Habitats for Wildlife,” with Suzanne Paton, a biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. She will talk about efforts to restore salt marsh and shrub habitat to benefit species such as sharp-tailed sparrows and New England cottontails near the refuges.

• July 8 – “Bats,” with Prof. Peter August, director of the Coastal Institute on Narragansett Bay and a professor in URI’s Department of Natural Resources Science.

• July 15 – “Rhode Island Seashores,” with George Klein, a marine biologist and marine educator who often works with children. With a hands-on presentation, he will introduce some of the creatures found along the Rhode Island shoreline.

• July 22 – “North Atlantic Sea Turtles,” with Malia Schwartz, a sea turtle specialist with the URI Dept. of Fisheries, Animals and Veterinary Science and Rhode Island Sea Grant. She will talk about species found in the North Atlantic and local efforts to rescue them from entanglements in fishing gear.

• July 29 – “Snakes of Rhode Island,” with Kenney, who is also a volunteer naturalist with the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Kimball Wildlife Refuge. He will show pictures and talk about the 12 species common in Rhode Island.

• Aug. 5 – “Bizarre Creatures in Narragansett Bay,” with David Beutel, a fisheries specialist with the Coastal Resources Management Council and a former commercial fisherman.

• Aug. 12 – “Sharks off Southern New England,” with Kathy Duffy, a scientist who works with the Apex Predators Program at the National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory in Narragansett.

• Aug. 19 – “Rhode Island’s Butterflies,” with Eugenia Marks, an expert at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and local coordinator of the Rhode Island Butterfly Survey.

• Aug. 26 – “Basking with Humpbacks: Tracking Threatened Marine Life in New England Waters,” with Todd McLeish, a nature writer and public affairs officer with the URI Communications and News Bureau. His second book on threatened animals is due to be published in August. He will also be signing copies of the book.

plord@projo.com