Western New York Bluebird Workshop at RTPI
The New York State Bluebird Society will sponsor a Bluebird Workshop at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown on Saturday, April 1st at 1pm. This free, public workshop will feature two presentations by John Ruska – past president and lifetime director of the Bluebird Society. Ruska’s first presentation- entitled “All About Bluebirds – and More” – will detail the life history of the Eastern Bluebird; will include a display and discussion of the various types of Bluebird nestboxes and how they are best managed; and will provide opportunities for participants to ask...
Read MoreGray Four-eyed Opossum
This is a young Gray Four-eyed Opossum (Philander opossum) caught in one of our mammal traps, as we were surveying for an unusual jungle rodent called Watson’s Climbing Rat (Tylomys watsoni) in Rara Avis Nature Reserve, Costa Rica. Believe it or not, the rat would have been bigger than this opossum (and particularly fond of chocolate and soap). Like it’s cousin, the Virginia Opossum, these guys show a remarkable resistance to venoms and poisons, including snake venom, and are relatively immune to dangerous snake bites. In North America, opossums have been credited with being a biological...
Read MoreDowny Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is an industrious little bird that frequents parks and woodlots throughout much of North America. While often spotted at backyard feeders with similarly sized chickadees and nuthatches, this black-and-white woodpecker is also at home on tiny branches where it can be seen acrobatically foraging for insect larvae. Roger Tory Peterson described this bird’s call as “a rapid whinny of notes, descending in pitch.” Keep an eye and an ear out for this charismatic little bird; its striking plumage, shrill song and tree-trunk tapping should...
Read MoreOpening Eyes, Minds, and Hearts to Earth’s Biodiversity
Roger Tory Peterson traveled the world to explore, discover, and document its flora and fauna. He applied his artistic talents to describe and illustrate plants and animals in far-away regions to make their existence known to a broad audience, while his biological observations and knowledge supported conservation efforts and helped elicit positive environmental change. Like Peterson, RTPI Director Twan Leenders likewise uses his artistic skills to increase awareness and appreciation for the organisms that he studies, both locally and abroad. Leenders is currently in Costa Rica conducting...
Read MoreAmphibian Aficionados
> Dave Huth – Associate professor of visual communication and media arts at Houghton College, friend of RTPI, and gleeful amphibian enthusiast – recently interviewed some of our staff for an article he wrote on how today’s youth interact with nature. The piece, entitled “Raising the Next Generation of Amphibian Aficionados”, appeared in the February edition of the publication FrogLog. Huth’s passion for amphibians – as well as for the living world at large – is reflected in his writing, as well as in his masterfully executed photography; he and RTPI President...
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