Okay, this may not be high on everyone's list of places to visit before you die, but this weekend, three local wastewater treatment facilities will open their doors for public tours. It's part of Water Infrastructure Month, and if you don't know what happens to your household water after it goes down the drain, here's your chance to find out. How these facilities work -- or fail to work -- is a major factor in all of our state's water quality, from your local streams and rivers to Narragansett Bay. In total, Rhode Island's wastewater treatment systems handle about 100 million gallons of raw sewage every day.

Two of the tour locations will offer "Catch the Science Bug" — a one-hour science program for the whole family. Tours will be held this Saturday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at facilities in East Providence, Bristol, and Narragansett.  Tours in Warwick will be offered on Saturday, October 25.

You can also catch two programs about water on Rhode Island PBS on October 30. Click on "More..." for all the details about the tours and the TV shows.

Along with the essential changes we need to make in how we use our natural resources -- by creating more efficient energy and transportation systems, for starters -- another fundamental change we need to consider for the future is to do away with the electoral college. This clunky and antiquated electoral system strips away the power of our votes, especially here in a small state like Rhode Island. Tonight at Brown, the Political Theory Project brings together George Edwards and Tara Ross, who will discuss the future of the Electoral College. Following the lecture, audience members are invited to participate in a one-hour Q&A with the speakers. At MacMillan Hall, 7 to 9 pm.

Was Columbus a hero explorer or a brute invader? History, as they say, is never really past -- that we find ourselves where we are today, and that we are who we are, and that we live in this particular place, is all tangled up in what happened hundreds and thousands of years ago. But while we struggle to untangle the misty past, it's the future that remains for us to choose. Will we make a newer, greener, more hopeful world? A holiday weekend seems as good a time as any to start.

Among our neighbors who make that choice every day -- to make a newer, greener world -- are RI's hardworking local farmers. Fall is a crucial time for them to generate the income they need to survive, and we all can help... and have some fun and get outside, too. Visit a farm, take your kids to a corn maze, go buy a pumpkin or two, or tag your Christmas tree. The folks at RI Farmways have all the info, you'll find hay rides and winery tours listed too. Also, many local farmers markets are still open, Farm Fresh has all the details. And on Saturday, Frerichs Farm in Warren hosts the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, click here for details.

CoastWeeks events continue with lighthouse tours and cruises in Newport Harbor. Saturday, Audubon leads a bike ride on Prudence Island, a great opportunity to explore this unique place at a perfect time of year. The trip leaders are careful to protect you from ticks -- which in any case, you should be careful of anywhere in RI -- so get out there and enjoy! Go to the CoastWeeks site for details on these events.

Also coming up starting Saturday is the Restore America's Estuaries conference, a national gathering right here in Providence through the 15th. Click here for all the info. Lots of options not only for eco-professionals but for citizen scientists, educators, and volunteers too. Next Tuesday evening, URI continues its awesome global-change speakers series, click here for info.

Check out NNN's Community Calendar for lots more listings, kid events, art exhibits, workshops, and lots more.

Pumpkin photo courtesy of Frerichs Farm.

A bunch of events are coming up in the next couple of weeks. Here's a preview so you can mark your calendar now....

Kettle Pond Soup and Stories Fundraiser, in Charlestown, Oct. 16.

Bioneers by the Bay, in New Bedford, Oct. 24-26.

The RI Tree Farm Program Fall Tour, in West Greenwich, Oct 25.

RI Wild Plant Society Annual Meeting, in Bristol, Nov. 8.

Save The Bay, Bay Bash fundraiser, in Providence, Nov. 15.

Wednesday night, Oct. 8, you can find out all about green building, at this Save The Bay program at the Westerly Public Library. In Part II of their speakers series, Mindful Design: Progress and Nature in Harmony. Tom Weber, builder for South County Post and Beam, will be talking about the first LEED-rated house in Rhode Island. The house, which is under construction in Narragansett, is a candidate to achieve a GOLD rating under the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED-H rating system. The residential project will become the first of its kind for Rhode Island, marking a significant step forward in rethinking residential design and construction. The resulting home will have significantly reduced energy consumption, increased indoor environmental air quality, and an overall diminished impact on the environment.

Be there, 7 to 8 pm, the event is free and open to all. For more info, contact Rebekah Kepple at STB, (401) 315-2709, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Click here for a map to the library.

We Rhode Islanders are woefully behind our neighboring states when it comes to expanding our solar energy production, but for many homeowners, solar hot water installations can make economic sense even despite the lack of subsidies or incentives. Here's a chance to find out more, this week in Mass. And we've been assured by the SolarWrights folks, more of these demos will be coming soon to more locations, including here in RI, so stay tuned!

The Narragansett Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club invites you to join in two fall weekend walks. Information will be available about the Club’s plans for fall and winter hiking, bike rides, skiing, camping, trail-building, conservation and other activities.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  There is no fee and no obligation to join.

The Conservation Committee will enjoy the kaleidoscope of foliage and historic tombstones at Swan Point Cemetery with locally famous tree and shrub expert Patty D’Ambra on Saturday, October 18, at 10:30 a.m. Please call Patty for more information and mandatory registration at 949-3374.

A New/Prospective Member Walk will be held at Lincoln Woods State Park on Sunday, October 19, at 10:30 a.m.  Please contact Susan for more information and mandatory registration by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   For those without email access only, she can be reached by phone at 474-0515.  Cut-off time for registration is 9:30 a.m. Sunday. 

The Appalachian Mountain Club is America's oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization. Information about the 2,600-member Narragansett Chapter’s activities can be found at www.amcnarragansett.org.