Learn to forage for mushrooms on Aug. 20 in Durham

A weekly roundup of home and garden classes, tours and more.

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A variety of exhibits and workshops will be offered both inside and outside the Renaissance Centre featuring an array of local home improvement experts. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 13-14. Free. Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 Brooks St. South, Wake Forest. 919-435-9560

Learn about N.C.’s only native hummingbird, the Ruby-Throat. Meet local Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and witness up-close how researchers trap, handle, and band these tiny birds for data recording. Teacher will share stories about the fascinating lives of hummingbirds and the importance of providing habitat in your landscape, including how to choose a feeder and plants for nectar. Adopt a hummingbird for release ($20 day of the event) and support this important research. 1-5 p.m. Aug. 14. $18; $16 members. N.C. Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill. 919-962-0522, ncbg.unc.edu/calendar/

12-2 p.m. Aug. 15. Free. JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

Lynn Swanson, local landscape designer, will be talking about how she goes about choosing the right plants to make a landscape design come to life. The Gardeners of Wake County meeting is open to all. Refreshments at 7 p.m., program starts at 7:30. 7 p.m. Aug. 16. JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, gardenersofwakecounty.org

Bats are the world’s only flying mammals, and having wings is only one of the adaptations that make them unique. Discover just how special bats are during this evening program. 8 -10 p.m. Aug. 19. $1. Lake Crabtree County Park, 1400 Aviation Pkwy., Morrisville. 919-460-3390, wakegov.com/parks/lakecrabtree/Pages/default.aspx.

Hot encaustic is an intoxicating medium that smells like honey and falls somewhere between painting and sculpture. This affordable workshop includes 2 ready-to-hang canvases and unlimited encaustic medium. Through guided demonstrations, you’ll explore layer building techniques using different fusing tools to create unique surfaces. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 20. $75 per day plus $40 materials. Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris Street, Durham. 919-560-2787, durhamarts.org.

Explore exciting uses of shape, line, and pattern in the Modern and Contemporary Galleries, and then experiment with printmaking techniques to create your own graphic work. 10 a.m. Aug. 20. $8; $5 members. N.C. Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh. 919-839-6262, ncartmuseum.org.

Fall is peak season for mushroom foraging. Novices can learn to ID the dozen most delicious mushrooms with professional forager and columnist Frank Hyman. These are also the easiest mushrooms to identify: chanterelles, morels, chicken-of-the-woods and others. This slideshow program covers four seasons’ worth of wild mushrooms. Class includes handout, plenty of Q&A time, plenty of parking but limited seating. 2-4 p.m. Aug. 20. $30. Reserve your space via Paypal at the “classes” page in frankhyman.com, BW&A Books (downstairs), 1006-A Lamond Ave., Durham, 919-824-2239

The summer is not over yet and the season still has plenty to offer. Popular veteran cooking instructor Lucindy Willis always shares wonderful menus and in this class she will teach one that celebrates the bounty of the season. 2 p.m. Aug. 21. $45. Southern Season, 201 S. Estes Dr., Chapel Hill. 919-929-7133, southernseason.com.

With relatively little extra effort and expense, your garden can be transformed into a paradise for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. This workshop introduces you to common pollinators and strategies for bringing them to your garden. Participants learn the steps necessary to analyze their garden site, choose appropriate plants, and maintain a pollinator garden. A plant list, step-by step instructions, and other resources are included. 1-4 p.m. Aug. 23. $36; $32 members. N.C. Botanical Garden, 100 Old Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill. 919-962-0522, ncbg.unc.edu/calendar/

Grab your picnic blanket and come to the garden for story time. There will be garden stories, songs, and a craft to take home. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Aug. 26. $5; members free. JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Learn to forage for mushrooms on Aug. 20 in Durham."