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]
Amphibians Abound
The first wave of amphibian breeding has now passed, and early vernal pool breeders are making room for the next wave of frogs to show up at our local wetlands. American toads, pickerel frogs and leopard frogs have been calling for a week or so now, and green frogs and bullfrogs will join in soon, Of course, the spring peepers just won’t stop calling at all… Did you know that you can easily tell the difference between frog eggs and toad eggs? Frog eggs are always laid in a clump or a floating raft, while our toads produce long, corkscrewing...
read moreClean Our Shores
As our Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds season enters the nesting period here on the Connecticut coast we ask that when you visit a beach you please keep in mind the same ideals that you do whenever you are immersed elsewhere in nature – leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories. We successfully share the shore with the various endangered nesting species, such as this Piping Plover, each year without closing off entire beaches for months as some other states do. Our work, and the health and success of our birds, is...
read moreRTPI in the Rainforest – Conservation, Education and Inspiration
RTPI provides innovative programs that bring nature back into people’s lives. RTPI researchers work with school and college students to give them a chance to study natural history first-hand, and open their eyes and minds to the workings of the natural world. Whether in our own backyard, or in a remote corner of Costa Rica, RTPI works to increase understanding of the natural connections between species, habitats, and people that are critical to effective conservation. Learn more in this outstanding video created by Nicholas Gunner of...
read moreTaking Time for Turtles
The weather is finally warming up in the northeast and the first basking turtles are out. Soon they will start moving towards favorite wetlands or preferred egg-laying sites, risking their lives as they cross our roads. Please slow down and avoid hitting these animals – no matter how tough they may appear, they are no match for a fast moving car. Even straddling a turtle with your wheels will often cause it to hit the underside of your car if you’re moving at a decent clip. Please stop, if you can safely do so, and gently help the...
read moreCalling All Wild American Students!
Are you interested in pursuing a career in environmental biology or environmental education? Are you a junior or senior in high school, or a college student looking for an exciting summer packed with relevant experience? Please consider joining the Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s Project Wild America Youth Ambassador program. Through this program you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside RTPI biologists and staff as they investigate, monitor and improve habitat for unusual and threatened species in the City of Jamestown, as...
read moreRoyal Visitors
In 1976, 29-year-old King Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden made a visit to America in observance of the bicentennial. He chose to visit Jamestown because of its significance in Swedish settlement in the United States, and Hessel Valley Lutheran Church in Chandler’s Valley, a village in northwestern Pennsylvania, because of the church’s significance in Swedish immigration. Hessel Valley was the mother church to many of the Lutheran congregations in the eastern United States, including First Lutheran in Jamestown, N.Y. Many Swedish Americans searching...
read moreArtist Dale Weiler Creates Bronze Owl Sculpture to Benefit RTPI
We are very excited to announce the release of a limited edition bronze sculpture created by Dale Weiler to support Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s conservation through education initiative; the Project Wild America Youth Ambassador’s Program! The bronze, “Elevated Perspective”, is a 9-inch rendering of a snowy owl, one of Peterson’s favorite species to paint and the icon for RTPI. It is also the first bronze Dale has created in the last ten years. Dale and his wife, Loti, are donating 100% of the profits to RTPI’s ‘Project Wild...
read moreLast Chance to see ‘Focus on Nature XIV’ at RTPI
This painting, Green River Terrestrial Mural by Sean Murtha, is one of the award winning pieces in the Focus on Nature XIV exhibition. Focus on Nature (FON) is a biennial exhibition showcasing pieces that highlight scientific, natural and cultural history. It began in 1990 with the intent to demonstrate the connection between science and images, and to stimulate an interest in natural history art among practicing artists, aspiring artists and the public. RTPI has enjoyed the privilege of hosting Focus on Nature XIV over the past several...
read moreGhost Glass Frogs!
Researchers from the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI) have been monitoring these Ghost Glass Frogs and other amphibian species for more than two decades – not only to keep these frogs from extinction, but also to learn how the recovering populations were able to survive such catastrophic declines. Hopefully this information will help us as we try to find ways to help other endangered species as well. Stay tuned for more footage from our adventures in the tropics!
read moreSwedes of Jamestown
This photo from the RTPI archives depicts Roger Tory Peterson and Sir Lorimer Moe (knighted by the Swedish government on behalf of King Carl Gustaf XVI) at Bass Rock in Scotland. Lorimer Moe was a son of Jamestown, New York, who went on to become an outstanding newspaperman and diplomat. In the early days when RTPI was just an idea, Lorimer, Roger’s high school classmate, took the lead in enlisting broad support for the idea of an Institute in Roger’s birthplace, to honor his work and house his collections. In fact, the Institute’s...
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