Hellbender House Party 11/18
RTPI will be hosting a special one-day fundraiser to benefit our resident hellbenders, Oneka and Tweeg. In May of 2017, Oneka and Tweeg came to us from the Buffalo Zoo to RTPI to serve as animal ambassadors and help us educate people of all ages about their incredible species. The Buffalo Zoo generously donated the hellbenders’ set-up in order to ensure a smooth transition to RTPI. However, we would like to provide them with a new and improved set-up to give them more room to grow in the coming years and to provide more opportunities for public interaction. Activities include: • An...
Read MoreYellow-rumped Warblers Feeding
I always feel that as we enter November we shift from one phase of avian life to the next. Songbird migrants are now decreasing rapidly in both abundance and diversity. More waterfowl are beginning to arrive on our shores. Our wintering species start to show up frequently at our feeders. Birds also shift from eating insects to dining on this season’s harvest, as is the case with the Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata) here. Junipers, cedars, holly trees and many more all provide delicious berries that were the treats for these Halloween birds. I did not even notice I had...
Read MoreHoliday Open House – December 2nd
RTPI cordially invites you to attend our annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 2, 2017, from 10:00AM – 4:00PM. Guests will enjoy free admission into our current exhibits, programming by our staff, light refreshments, and they will be entered into a drawing to win a gift bag filled with unique items from our museum store. There will also be silent auctions held for signed, limited-edition Roger Tory Peterson artist prints. This event is part of Swedish Christmas Market Day in Jamestown – Julmarknad, organized by the Scandinavian Studies Program at Jamestown Community College....
Read MoreSpider in an Ant Costume
Here’s a nifty, local natural history discovery by RTPI President, Twan Leenders: “I’m used to seeing this kind of trickery in the tropics, but not inside my house. Coolest find of the day: Ant-Mimic Jumping Spider (Myrmarachne formicaria)!”
Read MoreBirds; Eloquent Expressions of Life
Roger Tory Peterson once said; “Birds are eloquent expressions of life and vitality, and watching them makes you a bit more alive….” Judging by his remarkable artistic renditions of a multitude of avian species, artist Neil Rizos would wholeheartedly agree with this statement. The Canada Goose shown here – created with mixed media – is one of many beautiful pieces in RTPI’s current exhibition, “Neil Rizos; the Art of Exploration”. Don’t miss your chance to view this outstanding show while it’s here this fall. For more about the artist and his work, visit...
Read MoreBaby Snapping Turtle
It’s ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ Monday! Here we have a baby Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) – photographed by RTPI president Twan Leenders in Jamestown, NY. Most folks are at least somewhat familiar with these short-tempered freshwater turtles, but have you ever seen one so small?
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