Biology Without Borders
Roger Tory Peterson traveled the world to explore, discover, and document its flora and fauna. He applied his artistic talents to describe and illustrate plants and animals in far-away regions to make their existence known to a broad audience, while his biological observations and knowledge supported conservation efforts and helped elicit positive environmental change. Probably the most obvious examples of this lesser-known side of Peterson’s legacy are his spectacular ‘Field Guides to Mexican Birds’ and ‘Birds of Britain and Europe,’ although behind the scenes his experience influenced...
Read MoreeXXpedition Great Lakes, August 20th 2016
Unseen plastics. Unseen pollution. All-female crews from Canada and the USA are sailing together for the first time this summer on August 20, 2016 on all five of the Great Lakes, Lake St Clair and the St Lawrence River to shed new light on the link between human health and plastic in the world’s waterways. The science lead for Lake Erie – Dr. Sherri Mason of SUNY Fredonia – will be joined by RTPI’s Communications Coordinator, Melanie Smith and several other environmental educators. The data collected will be provided to multiple organizations, including the United...
Read MoreNature Through the Lenses of Tweens and Teens
Jamestown Community College’s summer camp programs; Wee College, Kids College, and Tweens 2 Teens College provide area youth with the opportunity to explore a variety of classes that will both entertain their hobbies and interests, and engage them in the learning process. Students that participated in the Tweens 2 Teens College – Nature Through the Lens class explored the JCC campus and adjacent woodlot through the medium of digital photography and were challenged to capture images of organisms that they were unfamiliar with. Back in the computer lab, the students worked to...
Read MoreRTPI Establishes a Presence in Downtown Jamestown
Using Roger Tory Peterson’s life story, enduring legacy, and iconic bird art as guiding principles, RTPI provides people with meaningful opportunities to engage in natural history through our many art, education and conservation projects. Rather than compartmentalizing nature enjoyment as something that happens elsewhere (only in a nature preserve), we are working to develop the greater Jamestown area as a model urban habitat where environmental awareness and stewardship ethics are integral to everyday life, and where nature capital is appreciated as an important driver of economic,...
Read MoreEdible Invasives
As part of our initiative to raise awareness about problematic local plants during New York Invasive Species Awareness Week, we hosted a special event entitled ‘Backyard Botanical Bothers’ at RTPI’s new satellite location at 108 East Third Street in Jamestown. I teamed up with a talented local chef, James Salamone to create a few tasty dishes utilizing invasive plants. In the days leading up to Tueday’s event, we foraged for fresh ingredients in local fields and forests. Samples of the two dishes we created, ‘Garlic Mustard Fried Rice’ and ‘Wild Blackberry-Knotweed Cobbler’, were served up...
Read MoreA Ghost in the Making: Nationwide Release of a Revealing Film About the Decline of a Once Common Pollinator
Day’s Edge Productions recently released A Ghost In the Making: Searching for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, an enchanting short film about the disappearance of the rusty patched bumble bee and one man’s journey to find out what’s happened to it. After being received with acclaim at film festivals this spring, the film is now available for anyone to view online. Everyone has heard about bee declines, but with so much attention focused on domesticated honeybees, someone has to speak up for the 3,600 species of native bees in the United States. Natural history photographer Clay Bolt (with whom...
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