Hummingbird class, pollinator garden tour and more upcoming garden events

Hummingbird class kicks off Saving Our Birds exhibition

The N.C. Botanical Garden is kicking off its Saving Our Birds exhibition and programs with a Sunday event about hummingbirds.

From 1-5 p.m., Susan Campbell, a leading hummingbird researcher, and her team will demonstrate the process of hummingbird banding, an integral part of researching the small, fast bird. Campbell also will discuss the activities of these birds in the wild, the importance of providing habitats and how to landscape your garden and select feeders with hummingbirds in mind.

The event cost $18 per person but is free for children, ages 12 and under. To register for this event, go to http://go.unc.edu/Jz7k6.

The garden in Chapel Hill is hosting almost weekly events between now and Dec. 16 as part of its Saving Our Birds exhibition. The events are designed to inspire awareness and understanding of the state’s native birds and encourages citizens to help conserve their habitats. Info: http://ncbg.unc.edu/birds.

One part of the exhibition is a photography contest; winning photos will be displayed from Nov. 1-Jan. 2 at the botanical garden. Cash prizes will be awarded. Registration deadline is Sept. 30. More details: ncbg.unc.edu/photocontest

The botanical garden, part of the University of North Carolina, is a 1,000-acres of display gardens and natural areas. It is open seven days a week and admission is free. It is at 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill.

Info: 919-962-0522, ncbg.unc.edu

A few more worthy gardening events

▪ The hosts of the “Weekend Gardener” radio show on WPTF will be broadcasting live from the State Farmers Market in Raleigh from 8-11 a.m. Aug. 13. The hosts are Mike Raley and Anne Clapp, with frequent guest appearances by Rufus Edmisten. Read our recent profile about the hosts at nando.com/weekendgardener. The market is at 1201 Agriculture St., Raleigh.

▪ Go on a tour of the pollinator garden at Pittsboro’s Chatham Mills complex at 10 a.m. Aug. 15. Chatham County agriculture extension agent Debbie Roos will lead the tour of the garden to provide forage habitat for honey bees, native bees, butterflies, flower flies, hummingbirds, beetles and other beneficial insects. No registration is required; gather on the garden’s lawn. Chatham Mills is at 480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro.

▪ Landscape designer Lynn Swanson will be speaking at The Gardeners of Wake County’s next meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 16. The topic is how to choose the right plants to make a landscape design come to life. The meeting is open to all. Refreshments are at 7 p.m. The program starts at 7:30. It is held at JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh. Info: gardenersofwakecounty.org

▪ Gardener Frank Hyman is teaching a mushroom foraging class from 2-4 p.m. Aug. 20 at BW&A Books (downstairs), 1006-A Lamond Ave., Durham. Hyman will teach novices how to identify the dozen most delicious mushrooms, including chanterelles, morels and chicken-of-the-woods. This slideshow program covers four seasons’ worth of wild mushrooms. Attendees will receive a handout and be able to ask questions. The class costs $30. Reserve your space via Paypal at the “classes” page in frankhyman.com

▪ Reminder: The JC Raulston Arboretum offers free guided tours every Sunday at 2 p.m. Registration is not required. Meet at the visitor center. The arboretum is at 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh. Info: jcra.ncsu.edu

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Hummingbird class, pollinator garden tour and more upcoming garden events."