Treasures of the Tropics
In less than two weeks an RTPI crew will be headed to Costa Rica again, this time with students from the Forman School. Students will participate in a variety of research projects, including migratory bird banding and monitoring endangered and recovering amphibian populations, such as this Rufous-eyed Brook Tree Frog (Duellmanohyla rufioculis). Stay tuned for more information soon!
Read MoreArtist Dale Weiler Creates Snowy Owl Sculpture to Benefit RTPI
We are very excited to announce the release of a new bronze sculpture created by Dale Weiler to support wildlife conservation programs underway at RTPI. 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 America’ initiative – a program which promotes experiencing nature in your own backyard. The original for the bronze was sculpted from snowy...
Read MoreWinter Blues
Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) can look so vibrantly blue on sunny days, but blue coloration in animals is very rarely created by blue pigment. Instead, their stunning hues are created by refractive colors of light, breaking on microscopic structure of the feathers. Minute barbs on their feathers are specially modified to scatter light in a way that makes them appear blue, rather than showing the brown melanin that their feathers are colored with. Yes, Blue Jays are not actually blue!
Read MoreFrog Friday
Last Wednesday was an unusually warm day in the northeast. Temperatures reached 60 degrees in some places, and several of our friends in Connecticut reported hearing Spring Peeper calls emanating from the woods. Of course, a mere 24 hours later the area was buried by more than a foot of snow, reminding us that winter is still in full swing. You might think that frogs are not quite as adept at predicting winter weather as, say, groundhogs, but that is not really true. Our days are getting noticeably longer and the increased day length is making animals respond in kind – insects now appear...
Read MoreArtist Dale Weiler to Produce Bronze Owl Sculptures for RTPI
We are very excited to announce the release of a new bronze sculpture created by Dale Weiler to support wildlife conservation programs underway at The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI) in Jamestown, NY. Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996) was one of the nation’s pre-eminent bird-artists and among our most influential naturalists. He is perhaps best known for the Peterson Field Guide Series on birds and other flora and fauna. RTPI carries on his legacy by connecting people to nature through art, education and conservation. The bronze, “Elevated Perspective”, is a 9-inch...
Read More2016 Annual Report
Roger Tory Peterson lived his life by the motto “Learn it, Love it, Protect it”, and it’s a great way to characterize our work at RTPI! We endeavor to share with you the wonder and excitement of appreciating and exploring the natural world every day and everywhere. Please read our 2016 Annual Report to learn about the many ways that we’ve been continuing Roger Tory Peterson’s work! You can access the full report at http://rtpi.org/support-rtpi/2016-annual-report/ We hope you enjoy learning about our many initiatives!
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