Thank You from Our CEO
July, 2020 Dear Friends, First of all – thank you. Thank you to all who responded so generously to our spring appeal. This was my first big fundraiser for RTPI, one that provided a particularly up close and personal introduction to our friends and supporters. Officially, my title is Chief Executive Officer. Since my arrival in mid-March, however, it’s been more like Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. With the museum closed to the public and all staff – except me – working from home, I’ve been holding down the fort largely on my own. So, in addition to doing CEO stuff – managing finances, putting...
Read MoreRTPI Remembers Eric Berg
RTPI Remembers Eric Berg by Arthur Pearson, CEO Roger Tory Peterson loved penguins, his “favorite family of birds.” He traveled the world to see them – to Patagonia, the Galapagos Islands and to Antarctica, where he endured blizzards and sub-zero temperatures to catch his first glimpse of King and Emperor Penguins. For many years, visitors to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute had a much easier time meeting their first Emperor Penguins. A mother and her adorable chick. Life-sized. Big enough to hug, which is exactly what kids were encouraged to do. Thanks to sculptor Eric Berg. Eric...
Read MoreAn Appeal from Our CEO
May 2020 Dear Friends, This is my first Spring Appeal for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute and I couldn’t be more excited. Nor more concerned. Yet hopeful. I imagine many of us are feeling a mix of emotions as we strive to navigate the uncertainties of the Covid crisis. Our museum has been closed since mid-March. All events and programs have been cancelled well into the summer, usually our busiest, most important time of the year. The sad fact is, many organizations aren’t going to survive. My hope lies in you. With your help, we will survive. With your help, we will emerge from this...
Read MoreRelease of Spiny Soft Shell Turtles
RTPI conservation staff Jonathan Townsend and Twan Leenders recently joined wildlife rehabilitation specialists Shelby Priester and Karen Slote to help with the release of three rare spiny softshell turtles. The three youngsters were collected last summer or fall by a private individual, who likely found them somewhere right after they hatched and were leaving their nest to head to a nearby river. Spiny softshell turtles are a species of special conservation concern in New York State and protected by the law. Taking home found baby turtles is never a good idea. It very rarely ends well for...
Read MoreRTPI Welcomes New CEO, Arthur Pearson
Arthur Pearson Brings Extensive Experience to New Role A Chicago native, Pearson has a richly varied background in the arts, conservation, museum collections and philanthropy. He spent twenty-five years with the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, as a consultant and most recently as its Director of Chicago Program. In this role, he worked hand in glove with a portfolio of more than two hundred nonprofit groups, with an emphasis on building their operational and financial capacities to meet mission goals. Among Pearson’s recent accomplishments, he orchestrated a $7 million...
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