Swedish Consulate General Visits RTPI
Swedish Consulate General Leif Pagrotsky visited Jamestown, a city rich with Swedish American history, on May 22nd. The Consulate General of Sweden in New York focuses on the promotion of Sweden. This includes coordination and support of events to showcase Swedish culture and promote Swedish interests in the New York area as well as facilitating exchange between organizations, companies and institutions in Sweden and the U.S. Jane Johnson and Linda Pierce were thrilled to have the opportunity to give the Consul General a tour of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and to provide him with a...
Read MoreRose-breasted Grosbeak
This is a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheuticus ludovicianus) photographed by RTPI President Twan Leenders in his backyard in Jamestown, NY. These are medium-sized songbirds with heavy, seed-crushing bills. In his ‘Field Guide to Birds of North America’, Roger Tory Peterson described their song as resembling that of the American Robin, but delivered with more feeling! Have you seen any at your backyard feeders this spring?
Read MoreSafeguarding RTPI’s Unique and Irreplaceable Collections
Documentary Heritage & Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) is a statewide program of the New York State Archives and New York State Library which provides free planning and education services to archives, libraries, museums, and other institutions that safeguard and ensure access to New York’s historical records and unique research materials. Preparation for an emergency or disaster is one of the most important steps a cultural institution can take to safeguard collections. RTPI is the only official institutional steward of the life works of Roger Tory Peterson. We maintain,...
Read MoreWhat’s In Our Water?
Have you seen this woman in the news lately? This is Dr. Sherri (Sam) Mason, the SUNY Fredonia Professor whose groundbreaking research on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes has earned her much recognition and press. RTPI staff have teamed up with Dr. Mason for guidance on evaluating the levels of plastic pollution in another freshwater system – the Chadakoin River in Jamestown. During our summer 2017 “education through conservation” initiative, the Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors Program (PWA), local students will work with RTPI staff to sample and assess the levels of plastic...
Read MoreA Frog that Few Have Laid Eyes On
Here is a frog that few have ever laid eyes on – Legler’s Tree Frog (Ptychohyla legleri). This is one of the target species of RTPI Director Twan Leenders’ recent trip to the mountains of Costa Rica where he joined RTPI Research Associate Alex Shepack in surveys of imperiled amphibian populations. Legler’s Tree Frog is an endangered species with a very small and highly fragmented distribution range. It is the only species in its genus in lower Central America; its nearest relatives are found in northern Nicaragua and countries north of there. This recently metamorphed individual was found...
Read More
