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]
AAfCW 2017 Training
The Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds/CT DEEP 2017 monitoring and stewardship season is about to begin! Please see below for details, and please pass this along to any new volunteers you feel would be interested in joining us. We hope all our past monitors will be returning this year after yet another record-setting season in 2017. We can only keep this success going with your help! Spend your summer days at the beach and help protect a federally threatened species! The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and...
read moreProtecting Our Trails by Protecting Our Trees
Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or hiking through Chautauqua County’s trails is an experience like none other. The area features beautiful rolling hills, deep valleys, wide open fields and thick forested tracts, tickling anyone’s sense of adventure. One such feature that is especially captivating is the large stands of thick conifers that darken the forest floor and create a cathedral effect for anyone blitzing beneath them. Of these trees, the Eastern Hemlock forms dense patches around streams and along steep slopes while...
read moreIpswich Savannah Sparrow
The Savannah Sparrow is a familiar bird to many of us, abundant in our farmlands, fields, grasslands, shrublands, shores, roadsides, and other open habitats. You can find them across the northern U.S. and Canada during the nesting and migration seasons, and you’ll spot them overwintering in the southern U.S. or Mexico. This particular individual looks a little different than your average Savannah Sparrow – notice anything unusual? It is somewhat larger and heavier that a typical Savannah Sparrow, and its brown shades and yellow...
read moreDoors Open Jamestown! Saturday, January 21st; 10am – 5pm
During the community-wide event Doors Open Jamestown, area attractions offer free admission, raffle prizes, and more. Fifteen local attractions and nearly two dozen restaurants and retail stores partner for this annual event to celebrate the region. More information is available by visiting www.jamestownupclose.com or Doors Open Jamestown on Facebook. We invite you to visit RTPI during Doors Open Jamestown to enjoy: – Free admission into our current exhibition, Focus on Nature XIV – Original artwork and memorabilia from the...
read moreWhite Squirrel
One of the most familiar backyard creatures we have in the eastern part of the United States is the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). They are on our trees, robbing our bird feeders, “begging” for a snack in the park, but they are not always all the same. Some areas have local populations of melanistic, leucistic, or albino squirrels, and in some cases, these black or white appearances seem to possibly even be a color morph. I photographed this squirrel last week, and its dark (not red) eyes suggest it is not an albino...
read more#FrogFriday
The frogs are eager to meet a lot of 3rd graders at Lincoln Elementary School next #FrogFriday! Local students will get a little taste of RTPI’s tropical research, just before our next field season kicks off. Stay tuned for more updates.
read moreFocus on Nature in 2017
Focus on Nature XIV, an exhibition organized by the New York State Museum, will be on view from December 3, 2016 – April 9, 2017. Like Roger Tory Peterson, the artists featured in this show demonstrate the role illustration plays in natural science research and education, to stimulate curiosity about the world, and bring clearly into focus images of nature that people might not otherwise be aware of or able to visualize. Since its inception in 1990, the New York State Museum’s Focus on Nature exhibit series has reflected the standards,...
read moreRTPI Winter Hours
RTPI Winter Hours The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History starts its winter hours next week when we will be open to the public: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00am-4:00pm Sundays from 1:00-5:00pm RTPI is still available to be used for special requests, and we offer space for meetings and events. You can find all of the various room usage rates and our policies in this PDF file or below: Please also see our Museum Guidelines & Visitor Policies on this page. Thank you, and we hope to see you...
read moreWinter Raptor Survey Training January 11
Winter Raptor Survey Training Wednesday January 11th, 2017 @ 6PM Grasslands are amongst the fastest declining habitats in the country, and the bird species dependent upon vast stretches of waist-deep grasses are disappearing at alarming rates. In effort to learn more about these imperiled species within New York State and to protect remaining populations, the Department of Environmental Conservation has been conducting winter raptor surveys—specifically monitoring Short Eared Owls (endangered) and Northern Harriers (threatened). The NYS DEC...
read morePiping Plovers in Connecticut Post
Thanks to the Connecticut Post for talking about our work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds with Audubon Connecticut! The Connecticut nesting populations have done wonderfully during our work in the past five seasons, setting numerous records, but this year will be difficult after Hurricane Matthew hammered their wintering grounds in the Bahamas: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Piping-plover-population-plummets-10830927.php
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