Artist Neil Rizos at RTPI
Neil Rizos was in the Jamestown area for most of the week following the opening of his exhibit, and he spent much of this time at RTPI interacting with visitors, students, and staff. Rizos’ exhibition and the associated programming were made possible through a generous sponsorship from Key Bank. While the artist himself is no longer in our area, Rizos’ spectacular work will remain on view in the RTPI galleries through mid-December. Many of these pieces are available for purchase, and the variety of media represented make for a diverse assortment of choices sure to please any nature-art...
Read MoreOctober Orbweavers
It’s ‘Meet Your Neighbours Monday’! With the arrival of autumn, you are likely to notice a distinctive suite of spiders around your home. The species shown here is the Marbled Orb Weaver (Araneus marmoreus). The appearance of spiders like this one during the month of October has earned their group the nickname “Halloween spider”. Orb Weavers come in several different colors and patterns, so you might say that they wear a variety of costumes! Marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) photographed by Twan Leenders.
Read MoreSunset on Stratford Point
Everyone seemed to enjoy these sunset photos from last week at Stratford Point so I thought I would share them with all of you here, too. It has been so satisfying to see our gorgeous gardens being so busy after a year of hard work by staff and volunteers watering, weeding, planting additions, and maintaining everything we have to offer our pollinators and birds. We are all eager to see what sparrows arrive to feed on the many seeds in our plots during the most sparrow-y month of the year. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read More2017 AAfCW Preliminary Results
Here is more great RTPI news from the shores of Connecticut via the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, a partnership between Audubon Connecticut, Connecticut Audubon Society, and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Preliminary estimates of nesting success for our Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers indicate we had another historic year. At the moment we believe 66 pairs of Piping Plovers fledged 100 chicks, with the pair total being the most all-time for Connecticut and the chicks the fourth highest total ever. Widespread nest washouts and predators certainly...
Read MoreRTPI Protecting Pollinators
How many Monarchs have you seen this year? Anecdotal reports that I have heard- along with my own personal experiences – seem to indicate this was an improved season for one of our favorite butterflies. RTPI’s partnership and collaborative work at Audubon Connecticut at Stratford Point with Audubon Connecticut plus Sacred Heart University and the Connecticut Butterfly Association continues to aid our pollinators with expanded gardens and grasslands fueling or hosting dozens and dozens of species each day. I will show you more of our 2017 accomplishments soon, but for now please...
Read MoreProject Wild America Youth Ambassadors: Another Successful Year
In honor of Wild America Wednesday, we thought it would be appropriate to celebrate another successful year of RTPI’s Project Wild America (PWA) Youth Ambassadors Program! Beginning in 2015, PWA began with a small group of ambitious students ready to roll up their sleeves and get dirty as they got acquainted with the Chadakoin River and the surrounding urban ecosystem within the City of Jamestown. Fast-forward to 2017, our crew has grown as have as our projects. We hope you enjoy this selection of photos from the summer season as well as the report for this year’s program. ...
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