Ghost 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 charter was signed in his home, on a dining table that...
Read MoreWild America Nature Festival Juried Fine Art and Craft Show & Competition
Are you a talented artist or do you have a friend who is? The deadline to apply to become an artist exhibitor in the 2017 Juried Nature Fine Art and Craft Show & Competition at the first annual Wild America Nature Festival is March 31st. In order to give potential applicants a representation of the art and artists that will be at the show, we have pre-selected six early applicants. You can learn more about them and their art, as well as find the show prospectus and contract needed to apply, at: http://www.wildamericafest.com/become-an-art-exhibitor.html. Both artists creating art...
Read MoreRTPI Brings the Spirit of Outdoor Adventure to Jamestown
The Banff Mountain Film Festival is the most prestigious mountain festival in the world. Right after the festival, held every fall in Banff, Alberta, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour starts to travel the globe with stops in about 450 communities and 40 countries. The 2016/2017 World Tour features an exhilarating and provocative collection of films that explore the mountain world, highlighting new landscapes and remote cultures, and exposes audiences to exciting adventures and adrenaline-packed sports. At each screening around the world, audiences will see a selection of...
Read MoreGolden-winged Warbler
Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our recent work in Costa Rica was the recapture of this Golden-winged Warbler, which was banded last year in the same area it was caught this year, near Rara Avis Rainforest Lodge. Since we last saw it in March of 2016, it undoubtedly traveled back to its breeding grounds somewhere in North America and hopefully managed to find a mate of its own species. Golden-winged Warblers are suffering from dramatic declines throughout their range, and are increasingly hybridizing with closely-related Blue-winged Warblers. As a result, this species is at serious...
Read MoreSpring Salamander
Hey look – a hot-dog with eyes! Wait, that’s a Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)! This large, lung-less salamander is a common resident in the many springs and streams that run through our local forests. It’s stature and bright coloration make it stand out, but also serve as protection from predators. Spring salamanders can grow to over eight inches in length and produce noxious skin secretions while using their color to mimic even more toxic species. It isn’t a salamander any predator would want to mess with, and it probably wouldn’t taste anything...
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