Writer and conservationist Todd McLeish will lecture July 16 at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center in Charlestown. His topic: imperiled wildlife.

The Providence Journal / Steve Szydlowski

Museum programs: The Museum of Primitive Art and Culture, 1058 Kingstown Rd., Peace Dale, is hosting two programs on local and world history, with activities for all ages, including corn grinding, necklace beading, stories and games, Saturday, and again Aug. 9, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Wildlife lecture series: The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges is sponsoring a series of lectures, “Wildlife Wednesdays,” at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Rd., Charlestown, at 7 p.m. the schedule includes:

“Rhode Island Seashores,” with George Klein, tomorrow; “Golden Wings and Hairy Toes: Encounters With New England’s Most Imperiled Wildlife,” with Todd McLeish, July 16; “Owls of Rhode Island,” with Bob Kenney, July 23; “Sharks Off Southern New England,” with Kathy Duffy, July 30; “Eavesdropping on Dolphins,” with Katheeln Dudzinski, director of Mystic Aquarium’s Dolphin Communication Project, Aug. 6; “Bizarre Creatures in Narragansett Bay,” with David Beutel, Aug. 13; “Wildlife Caught on Video,” with Gerry Krausse, Aug. 20; and “Wildlife of South Africa,” with Bob Kenney, Aug. 27. Admission is free.

Slide show: Local wildlife photographer Tom Tetzner will show slides of his photos of South County, tonight at 7 at the Cross’ Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Rd., Charlestown.

Betty Coombs will present a photo tour of Antarctica next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Homebuyers’ course: The Housing Network of Rhode Island, with the Washington County Community Development Corporation, is offering a six-week course for first-time home buyers, offering tips on how to budget and save money, understand and manage credit, and go through the pre-approval and sale process, beginning Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Washington Trust Company in Westerly.

The course is designed for working families who may qualify for North Glenn Townhouse condominium homes, in Westerly’s North End, and other potential “affordable or work force” housing. A family of four earning $58,000 or less can qualify for the new 10-unit, two-and-three bedroom condo development.

The class fee is $35; for information or to register, call 521.1461.

Adult education classes: The Education Exchange, in the Oliver Stedman Government Center, Route 1, Wakefield, offers high school equivalency programs, GED, external diploma, adult basic education, English for Speakers of Other Languages, computer certifications, teacher aid certification, and computer classes for adults.

Computer instruction: Instruction in basic computer use is available at the Cross’ Mills Public Library each Monday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., and Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. No registration is required.

The Maury Loontjens Memorial Library, 35 Kingstown Rd., Narragansett, offers computer help on a drop-in basis each Tuesday night from 6:30 to 7:30.

Robert Edgar, a retired information technology specialist, is available to help people with computer work at the Jamestown Library, 26 North Rd., Jamestown, each Monday morning from 10 to noon.

Book discussions: The Jamestown Philomenian Library, 26 North Rd., Jamestown, hosts two book discussions, meeting the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m., and second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m., each addressing the same book. Tonight and July 14, the topic will be Jan Shapin’s A Snug Life Somewhere.

The Kingston Free Library, 2605 Kingstown Rd., Kingston, hosts discussions the first Thursday of the month at noon, and the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

The Peace Dale Library, 1057 Kingstown Rd., Peace Dale, sponsors a book discussion the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. The Robert Beverly Hale Library, on Route 1 in Wakefield, hosts book discussions the last Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

A classic and contemporary fiction discussion group meets the last Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. at the North Kingstown Free Library, 100 Boone St., North Kingstown.

The Maury Loontjens (formerly Narragansett Public) Library, 35 Kingstown Rd., Narragansett, sponsors a book group which meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m., and a “classic”’ group meeting the third Saturday of the month at 11:30 a.m.

The Westerly Public Library, 44 Broad St., Westerly, hosts book discussions the second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m., and the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.

The Cross’ Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Rd., Charlestown, conducts book discussion groups the first Thursday of the month at 1 p.m., and the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

The Langworthy Public Library, 24 Spring St., Hope Valley, is forming a book club. To register, call 539-7747.

Mystery book group: “A Twist in the Tale”’ is the title of a mystery book discussion group meeting the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the North Kingstown Free Library, 100 Boone St., North Kingstown. To register, call 294-3306, ext. 3.

Poetry groups: The North Kingstown Free Library, 100 Boone St., North Kingstown, hosts sessions of “poems for lunch”’ the third Friday of the month from noon to 1 p.m.

The Davisville Free Library hosts poetry readings the first Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m., through June. For information, call the North Kingstown Arts Council at 294-3331, ext. 241.

The Jamestown Library hosts a new poetry group, led by Katherine Dunham, the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. For information, call 423-7280.

Play readings: Lisa Tyre and Patti Cassidy lead a new play reading group meeting at the Jamestown Library, 26 North Rd., Jamestown, the first Wednesday of each month from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

French discussions: French teacher Natalie Hamlin leads a weekly French reading and discussion series, for people who have had at least two years of French study or the equivalent, at the North Kingstown Free Library, 100 Boone St., North Kingstown.

Copies of the reading and study questions are available at the Circulation Desk. For information or to register, call 294-3306.