I love this time of year. After the exuberance of summer and the vibrant colors of fall, I’m thankful for the days growing shorter. The nights longer. Temperatures falling. Silhouettes of bare branches against a leaden sky promising snow. All of nature winding down. Encouraging quiet. Reflection. Introspection. [more]
With Gratitude From Your CEO
Dear Friends, I love this time of year. After the exuberance of summer and the vibrant colors of fall, I’m thankful for the days growing shorter. The nights longer. Temperatures falling. Silhouettes of bare branches against a leaden sky promising snow. All of nature winding down. Encouraging quiet. Reflection. Introspection. Looking back over the year, I’m thankful for a lot of things. Yes, I started my new job as CEO just as the Covid crisis hit. Yes, my first official act was to close the museum for four months. And yes, that hit our bottom...
read moreReflections from Our CEO
August, 2020 Dear Friends, Sanctuary. That’s a word we’ve heard a lot since we reopened the museum this summer. Sanctuary is a place where you feel safe. You feel rejuvenated. Inspired. That’s what we offer at Roger Tory Peterson Institute. Our 27-acre nature preserve is a forested refuge filled with birdsong. Our pollinator meadow is abuzz with bees. Our wildflower gardens are bejeweled with butterflies. Our museum is a rustic temple made of wood and stone. As soon as you step inside, the vaulted ceiling lifts the spirit and fills you with...
read moreThank 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...
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...
read moreHelp Wanted: Great Backyard Bird Count
Over President’s Day weekend (Friday, February 14 thru Monday, February 17, 2020), bird enthusiasts of all ages and abilities throughout the world are urged to count birds in their backyards or local parks as part of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. It doesn’t cost money. You can do it “bare-handed” just by watching out your kitchen window. It’s fun and educational. And it really helps contribute valuable information to bird conservation. The Falconer Public Library will host a free indoor introduction to the Great Backyard Bird...
read moreSpecial Guy Coheleach Artwork Offer Ends February 14th!
RTPI has been pleased to feature the artwork of Guy Coheleach in our galleries since October 11, 2020. The exhibition was scheduled to close on January 19, 2020, but Mr. Coheleach, a long-time friend of the Institute and Roger Tory Peterson himself, has decided to offer a generous opportunity for friends of RTPI. Until February 14th, all available paintings will be offered at 50% off the original listed gallery price. To view or purchase available artwork, please visit our galleries Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm, or by appointment, or click here....
read moreAllegheny Outfitters to Host Free Hemlock Tree Conservation Programs
Want to show your love for our local forests? During the week of Valentine’s Day, partners of the High Allegheny Hemlock Conservation Partnership and Allegheny Forest Health Collaborative will join Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, PA for two events focusing on the invasive pest known as Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) which is threatening our native Eastern Hemlock Trees. On Thursday February 13th, this collaborative will lead a training session at Allegheny Outfitters from 6-7:30pm. And on Saturday, February 15th conservation staff from the...
read moreRTPI to Host “Illuminating the Dark Side of Nature” Book Club
Program Theme: Illuminating the Dark Side of Nature It’s easy to find beauty in the natural world. Literature is filled with descriptions of breathtaking landscapes, magnificent creatures, and meaningful experiences in the great outdoors. Yet, nature also has its dark places – filled with curiosities that we often fear. Participants in this new Reading and Discussion series will explore some of the strange and mysterious corners of the natural world – as they venture through contemporary pieces of literature- into places...
read moreCitizen Science Opportunity: Protect Our Hemlock Trees
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is an aphid-like insect, originating from Asia that feeds off of the food storage cells below the needles of an Eastern Hemlock tree and hides itself under white woolly masses for protection. Within only a matter of 4-10 years an individual tree can succumb to an HWA infestation if left unnoticed. This deadly bug has been progressively moving closer to our area as it has spread throughout much of the eastern United States, leaving massive stands of hemlocks dead in their wake. Early detection of this particular pest is...
read more120th Annual Christmas Bird Count is December 14th-15th!
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is the longest-running citizen science project in the world. In its 120th year now, the National Audubon Society is starting this year’s CBC season, organizing counts in hundreds of locations. Data gathered by volunteers has historically been critical to our understanding of how bird populations change over time. In this day and age, with bird populations declining sometimes precipitously, it is critically important that many people participate and help us count the birds that are present on a CBC count day....
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