The following events are scheduled to take place at Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve. Call 695-6491 to confirm status of classes. Fernwood is located near Buchanan at 13988 Range Line Road in Niles. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The Fernwood Café is open  Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. Fernwood is closed on Mondays.

• Fernwood Friday
Friday, July 15, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Fernwood and WVPE Public Radio  present the fifth annual Fernwood Friday “Friendraiser” on Friday, July 15.  Join those in attendance for a lovely summer evening in the gardens with jazz selections from Typhanie Monique, whose vocal sound JazzTimes magazine has described as “a modern-day Sarah Vaughan with iridescent traces of Lena Horne.” Oothers have compared her to Minnie Ripperton, Chaka Kahn, Diana Krall and Eykah Badu. Fernwood’s Executive Chef Tim Carrigan will offer delicious food with beer and wine available for purchase from Round Barn Winery. This event is free to members of WVPE and Fernwood, all others $5.

• Chicago Botanic Garden
and Ravinia Festival Bus Trip
Sunday, July 24, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Get away for a day of fun as we enjoy some treasures of Chicago’s North Shore. Start the day exploring Chicago Botanic Garden, including a show and sale by the Cactus and Succulent Society of Greater Chicago. Then head to the nearby Ravinia Festival for the Chicago Symphony’s performance featuring Brahms and Beethoven, including a picnic dinner at Ravinia prepared by Fernwood’s Chef Tim Carrigan. Fee includes charter bus, admission tickets and dinner. Lunch at the garden is on your own. The cost is $100 or $90 for members. Registration is required by July 3.

• Michigan State University Garden Tour
Friday, July 8
Many have heard all about the magnificent gardens at Michigan State University. Now here’s a chance to see them for oneself. Participants will travel to the MSU campus in East Lansing and be given a tour of the gardens, then have time to explore on their own. Those who go along for the trip will see the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, the Plant Science greenhouses, Horticultural Demonstration Gardens and Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden, to name just a few. Fee includes bus transportation,  snack, box lunch and guided tour. This tour also fulfills three hours Michigan Master Gardener continuing education credits. The fee  is $85 or $70 for members, registration is required by July 3.

• Support Orchard Hills—Support Fernwood
Offer Ends July 1
Orchard Hills Country Club is offering a great opportunity for Fernwood members that will also benefit Fernwood. Sign up for a dining membership for $100 at Orchard Hills and be entitled to play two rounds of golf per membership (fees apply). Have unlimited use of the clubhouse, such as for dining, through Dec. 31. Fernwood will receive $50 for every special-offer dining membership purchased before July 1. Call Orchard Hills at 695-5991 now, identify oneself as a Fernwood member and start enjoying the benefits today.

• Nature Station: Honeybees
Enjoy hands-on and educational activities in our summer Nature Stations.  This session will be an educational exploration of the world of the honeybee, one of the most familiar insects in the world and the key role it plays in the human and natural world. Great for families and people of all ages. Free with paid Fernwood admission.

• Biodiversity Live!
Wednesday, July 6, 7 to 8 p.m.
The Earth is blessed with an amazing biodiversity of life, which is featured in this live animal presentation by the Organization for Bat Conservation. Learn about the biodiversity of the planet, the threats that are faced by wildlife and what can be done to protect the environment. Animals on display might include an African fruit bat, a great horned owl, a bearded dragon and a sugar glider. The cost for adults is $10 or $8 for members; children are $5 or $4 for members; children age 5 and under are free. Registration required by July 5.

• Sculpture Fernwood
Sculpture Fernwood features sculptures placed throughout the grounds from 10 artists, including Cambid-J Choy, Austin I. Collins, Richard Hunt, William Kremer, Garrett Krueger, Dora Natella, Fritz Olsen, Fredrick Prescott, Phillip Shore and Barry Tinsley. An exhibit catalog is available for purchase.  The exhibition is being curated by Austin I. Collins, professor of sculpture at the University of Notre Dame. Sculpture Fernwood will run through summer 2013.

• Rembrandts Art Day Camp
July 12–15, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fernwood’s beautiful gardens and natural areas inspire the creation of diverse mixed media projects, including ceramics, tie dye, drawing/painting, sculpture and much more.  Rembrandts art camp is for children  ages 9–12 and the fee is $95 or $80 for members.