It's been an abundant summer for our local farms, and if you're getting piles of fresh produce from your own backyard, or a farmers market or farm share, it can be a challenge to know what to do with it all!

Here are some delicious recipes to share, from Scratch Farm CSA member Ashley Paul, for cucumber soup and lemon basil ice cream. Just click on "More..." for the full details.

What use is a beautiful urban bikeway, if nobody rides on it? The folks at the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council are working to help local kids enjoy their bike path, and to encourage that, they would love to have your old or unused bikes and bike gear, all kinds, all sizes, as long as it is in good condition (flat tires and other minor repairs are okay).

The WRWC  will host a Bike Rodeo, Saturday, August 23, 2 to 5 pm at Riverside Park in Olneyville, so if you can get your bikes to them before that, great!

Contact them at 861-9046 or send an This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more info.

So if you are trying to hang out closer to home this summer and keep a hold on what dollars you might have, think of it as a great opportunity to explore some of the nooks and crannies of our local region. There is sure to be lots that you haven't seen yet.

One cool place to visit in Boston is The Harvard Museum of Natural History, and right now you can catch the final weeks of its multi-media exhibit, Nests & Eggs. The exhibit, which closes on August 24th, explores the myriad ways that birds nurture and protect their young, from egg to hatchling. Unique specimens -- some on exhibit for the first time -- plus still and video photography, original illustrations, and hands-on experiences make Nests & Eggs a delight for all ages.

"This exhibit inspires visitors to look more closely at the world around them, to see and think about the familiar in new ways," says Elisabeth Werby, executive director of the museum. Hey, that's the same thing we try to do here at NNN!

Go to the museum Web site for directions and more info. 

The Newport and Providence Green Drinks groups will join for a summer celebration on Wednesday, July 30, at Narragansett Town Beach, 5 to 8 pm. The site is the North Beach Clubhouse (also known as the Canochet Beach Clubhouse), 79 Boston Neck Roa (Route 1A). Click here for a google map.

The Town of Narragansett is hosting this special Green Drinks event. Thanks to the Narragansett Parks and Recreation for providing the beautiful venue (as they did last August), with its expansive deck right on the Town of Narragansett beach.  This will be a great time to bring friends and family and enjoy our coast. Lifeguards will be on duty till 6pm so enjoy the surf!

Special thanks to the Management of McLaughlin &Moran, located in Cranston, for graciously donating the fine beverages. Thanks also to Trio (opened just a few months ago in Narragansett by Newport Harbor Corp.), for providing delicious bites.

Green Drinks on the beach starts at 5pm. If you would like to arrive before 6, just park in the lot south of the Clubhouse parking lot. If coming after 6, the clubhouse parking lot is closest to the venue.

For more info, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Could July be over already? Yes it could! So if you are behind on beach time and outdoor adventures, time to get going.

Looks like more unsettled weather on the way for the next few days. Be sure to check for cancellations, changes, or rain dates before you head out to any events.

You have plenty of options for getting outside. Start out tonight with an urban adventure -- in  Prov, you can catch a Concert under the Elms with Pendragon, at the John Brown House Museum. Follow it up with Alfred Hitchcock's classic The Birds -- which explores, in its own way, the relationship between humans and nature -- free and outdoors, starting about 8:30 on the big wall outside Tazza Cafe. Down in Bristol, Audubon is showing episodes of the classic "Flipper" TV show outdoors on a big screen, bring a picnic blanket and the whole family (there's room indoors if the rains come). 

A big annual event coming up this weekend is Save The Bay's swim across the Bay. They are still looking for volunteers, if you can lend a hand on Saturday morning. You might think this is not really a spectator event, but just stop by to watch and cheer, and you might get caught up in the excitement -- and maybe get inspired to try the swim yourself next time!

Saturday morning, you can explore beautiful Rome Point in North Kingstown, on a historical tour offered by the town library. Or for a quintessential RI experience, check out the Blessing of the Fleet, Saturday at noon in Galilee. Saturday night, another great picnic & family event in Little Compton, where the Ocean State Summer Pops Orchestra plays for free on the Town Commons. Or head to Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly, for music and fireworks Saturday night in honor of the governor's Bay Day. Click here for more about Bay Day -- free parking at state beaches on Sunday, and more.

Check NNN's Community Calendar for more details on the above events, and for more ideas for things to do! You'll find farmers' markets, hikes and boat tours, and events for kids. The calendar is updated daily, so check back often.

Coming up soon... Next Tuesday, the 29th, free jazz on the lawn at Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown. Wednesday, the 30th, the special Newport-Prov Green Drinks event at Narragansett Beach, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for details.  And the next Wednesday, August 6th, the great RI Local Food Fest at Castle Hill in Newport. Get out there and enjoy our Rhode Island summer!

Two of our local Narragansett Bay heroes -- photographer Richard Benjamin and Baykeeper John Torgan of Save The Bay -- have teamed up to create a new hardcover book with gorgeous photos and enlightening text.

Click here to check out a slideshow of pix from the book.

Click here for more info or to order a copy. Be sure to order yours direct from this Save The Bay link, and 50 percent of your $27.95 cost will go to fund Bay protection and restoration efforts.

Click on "More..." to check out an exclusive excerpt from the text. Take about two minutes to read, and you will by the end know lots more than you did before about our beautiful Bay and its watershed.

Images courtesy of Save The Bay and Richard Benjamin.

Another great new project that our fellow Rhode Islanders are up to. Our freshwater lakes need advocacy and attention, and Save The Lakes will work to protect these valuable assets. Click here to check out the story in today's projo.

R.I. is promoting a new campaign to reduce runoff pollution into the Bay, supported by the departments of Transportation and Environmental Management. "Know Where It Goes!" aims to inform folks about all the various ways bad stuff gets into the Bay, via storm drains, runoff, and groundwater.

Here's the intro from the project Web site:

Dog poop, lawn chemicals, and nasty spills. These are only a few of the things that stormwater picks up and mixes with as it rushes over the pavement in our driveways, sidewalks, and streets. Storm drains rush all this polluted water directly to the nearest stream, pond, or bay. No filters. No treatment. So the pollutants that stormwater carries wind up in the water we drink, fish, and swim. And that’s pretty scary. The good news is, there’s a lot we can do to keep that water clean.

Go straight to the Web site for more info -- much of it is still under construction, but there is some good info there already.

Read Peter Lord's projo story.

It's deep summer here, and if you're behind on your summer dose of beach time, picnic-table dinners, and night time strolls, time to be catching up!

You can get a dose of green thinking today, with another monthly meeting of the new Green Building Council, at New England Tech in Warwick. Click here for a recent NNN story about the group, and click here for Peter Lord's story in today's projo.

Follow that up thinking with some Green Drinking, hosted by our local eco-networking group. Today the Third Thursday bunch are hosted by Margherita and Donald Pryor, at their home in Providence. Join them in the backyard at 28 Doane Avenue from 5 to 8 pm for conversation and good company.

Third Thursday is also Gallery Night in Prov, if you go, be sure to check out URI's exhibit of paintings inspired by Narragansett Bay. 

And don't forget, a second Green Drinks event is coming up later this month, Wednesday July 30, when the Prov and Newport groups join for an event at Narragansett Beach. To get on the Green Drinks mailing list, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it of The Ocean Project.

Saturday is Prudence Island's Narragansett Bay Block Party, a great opportunity for the whole family to visit this special place. Just let Kristin know you are coming! Or head for Narragansett Beach, where local advocates will gather for Environmental Awareness Day.

You'll find details about all of these and lots more events for every day -- beach walks, garden tours, a short course in tree identification, hikes and bike rides, and a chance to check out the butterflies of the Great Swamp -- all at at NNN's Community Calendar.  Plus Farmers Markets! Check out this great calendar, which includes maps to help you find every site!

And besides all this greenish stuff, the state is just overflowing with arts and cultural events this weekend, not to mention hot-air balloons in Kingston and Waterfire downtown. So get out in your world and grab some summer!