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Posts by Melanie Smith

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Survey Tutorial

Posted on Apr 11, 2019

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Survey Tutorial

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an invasive, aphid-like insect originating from Asia which is devasting native Hemlock trees throughout the Eastern U.S. If left unnoticed, an individual tree will succumb to an infestation within a decade. Early detection of this pest is critical to preventing its spread, and RTPI has been collaborating with several partner organizations and a dedicated volunteer force to survey hemlocks throughout our region. This video – produced by Joe Gustafson Photography – provides technical information on how to survey for hemlock woolly adelgid. The stars and...

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RTPI hiring for ‘Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors’ summer program

Posted on Mar 28, 2019

RTPI hiring for ‘Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors’ summer program

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI) is currently hiring area high school and college students to work alongside its conservation staff this summer for the fifth annual Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors (PWA) Program in Jamestown. Building on the successes from the past four years, students enrolled in RTPI’s PWA program will immerse themselves in Jamestown’s ‘urban ecosystem’. These students will investigate, monitor and improve habitat for threatened species in the area and raise public awareness about our important natural resources, environmental challenges...

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Farewell to Bill Thompson III, a Great Friend of RTPI

Posted on Mar 27, 2019

Farewell to Bill Thompson III, a Great Friend of RTPI

March 2019     #35stories     #rtpi35 Stories come in all shapes and sizes, and this one is beautiful and poignant, a story of life and loss. Our great friend Bill Thompson, III has passed away at his home in southeastern Ohio after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Bill was the publisher and editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest, the magazine launched by his parents Elsa and Bill, Jr. in 1978 “from our living room in Marietta, Ohio”, and was the author of numerous books on birds and nature. He created the “Bill of the Birds” blog and podcasts for bird watchers called...

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RTPI to Host “Humanities NY Reading and Discussion Series”

Posted on Mar 19, 2019

RTPI to Host “Humanities NY Reading and Discussion Series”

RTPI is pleased to announce that it has been selected to host a series of Humanities NY Reading and Discussion programs. Participants will read a selection of books which are connected by the theme “Place and Story”; each title explores the multiple ways the American landscape influences our experiences and way of life. During each of these sessions, participants will gather at RTPI with others from the community to discuss what they’ve read in an informal conversation facilitated by RTPI’s Communications Coordinator and Environmental Educator, Melanie Smith. Books for the following month’s...

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Roger Tory Peterson’s Methods, Media and Models

Posted on Mar 7, 2019

Roger Tory Peterson’s Methods, Media and Models

This article by Jordan Patterson, appeared in the February 28th, 2019 edition of the Post-Journal. Roger Tory Peterson passed away in 1996, but his catalog of paintings, photography and overall work with birds continued to impact Jefferson Middle School (Jamestown, NY) students Wednesday (February 27th). In two separate sessions, Lisa Corey, Jefferson art teacher, and her fifth- and sixth- grade students welcomed in representatives from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute to display past work from the founder organization. The RTPI program is titled “Roger Tory Peterson’s Methods, Media and...

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