The 2011 Garden Tour put on by the Lake Tahoe Historical Society is July 31 from 10am-4pm.

The theme will be “Learning More About Gardening.” Music and refreshments will be at the Ledbetter Terrace at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe.

Four of the gardens on the tour belong to current or former employees of LTCC.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased after July 1 at the museum (3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd.) or at Aspen Hollow, Nels Garden Center, Sun Basin and Tahoe Outdoor Living.

Explore Tahoe Winter Speaker Series continues on March 10 at 6pm. with a session on the impacts of water runoff and Lake Tahoe protection.

Kim Gorman joins Robert Erlich from South Lake Tahoe for a stormwater management program to present “Protecting the Watershed.”

Explore Tahoe Visitor Center is located in the Heavenly Village next to North Face retail store.

A $5 donation is requested for the program. Information: (530) 542.4637.

Gar Woods Grill and Pier will host the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Mixer and the annual Kick-Off to SnowFest Party March 3 from 5 to 8pm.

Gar Woods is located at 5000 North Lake Blvd. in Carnelian Bay.

The cost is a $20 per person.

SnowFest, celebrating 30 years, is scheduled for March 4-13 at a variety of venues throughout North Lake Tahoe.

For more information about the mixer, call Kym Fabel at (530) 581.8764 or email kym@puretahoenorth.com.

El Dorado County is having a workshop on Yellow Starthistle Control and Preventing the Spread of Invasive Weeds on March 11 from 1:30-3pm.

The meeting is in the Planning Commission Room – Building C, El Dorado County Administrative Offices, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville.

Registration for this workshop is recommended. Register online or contact Nancy Starr at (530) 621.5503 or njstarr@ucdavis.edu

Walk-in registration available at the event, if space allows.

Attorney Jacqueline Mittelstadt is offering two seminars on estate planning.

Both start at 5:30pm. One is March 10, the other March 11. Both are on the South Shore.

Reasons to attend and learn about living trusts:

1) To avoid giving your money to the government;

2) Ensure loved ones are provided for;

3) Avoid wasting money and time on unnecessary court fees;

4) Retain control over your assets.

Wine and cheese will be served. Space is limited. Call to reserve a seat, (530) 307.9412 or email jm@mittelstadtlaw.com.

Discounts apply for all who attend.

UC Davis’s Tahoe Environmental Research Center in partnership with the Tahoe Expedition Academy will host the sixth annual Science Expo. The Science Expo features interactive experiments and demonstrations for children grades 3–6 (ages 8–12) and their families.

The Science Expo is open to the general public on the evening of March 16 from 4–6pm at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village.

Ice cream will be provided by Susie Scoops of Incline Village and UC Davis TERC. Admission is free.

The 2011 Science Expo will showcase 20 hands-on investigations that explore Earth Science concepts such as:

* Erosion

* Atmospheric Processes

* Fossilization

* Astronomy

* The Properties of Rocks and Minerals

* 3-D Geographic Visualizations – Bathometry and Topography.

Interest in the event has grown tremendously. Last year, nearly 700 people, students and parents, participated in the Science Expo. The event is hosted annually and operates according to a three-year cycle; thematic emphases include Earth Science (2011), Life Science (2012), and Physical Science (2013).

This year, students from Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Incline Village and South Lake Tahoe will be attending during the school days of March 16-18. High school students participating in the Youth Science Institute will facilitate science investigations with the younger students in the community. Lake Tahoe School middle school students and parents in the community will also participate. UC Davis Americorps volunteers and docents will also be staffing some of the activity stations, however, additional volunteers are still needed.

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, contact volunteer coordinator Mary Danahey at (650) 743.2309 or email marydanahey@gmail.com.

The Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences is located at 291 Country Club Drive in Incline Village on the campus of Sierra Nevada College.

All you can eat chili for just $1 on March 3 from 5-10pm at Coyote Grill in Round Hill.

Proceeds benefit Choices for Children.

Any questions, call Kathy at (530) 541.5848.

The Heart Opening Retreat at Zephyr Point Conference is May 5-8.

Find your authentic voice and be completely supported in the process as you deepen your awareness of the real you, outside of your roles and stories. Experience a true connection with yourself and others as you practice honoring yourself and communicating your true feelings.

The retreat is facilitated by presenter/performing artist Kathy Zavada and meditation trainer Sarah McLean.

Retreat fees start at $375.

For more information, email sedonameditation@gmail.com or call (928) 204.0067.

In celebration of National Pancake Day, IHOP restaurants nationwide – including the one in South Lake Tahoe — will offer each guest a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

This year, IHOP is hoping to stack up more donations than before, with a goal to raise $2.3 million, for a total of more than $7.65 million in six years.

Diners will be asked to leave a little something behind. Tahoe donations will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ programs at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

Pancake Day is March 1 from 7am-10pm.

Pancake Day is a tradition that dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products.

This year, IHOP’s National Pancake Day will come one week early, as the popular annual campaign has evolved into a monthlong celebration that takes place during the month of February. It will culminate with the free flapjack giveaway on March 1.

Ryan Shreve Memorial Firefighters Race at Sierra-at-Tahoe on March 15 starting at 10:30am.