Chadakoin River Trash Cleanup
Take a Walk on the Wildside; Chadakoin River Trash Cleanup – Friday, August 7th; 1-4pm at McCrea Point, Jamestown Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors have had an amazing experience this summer, making many fascinating discoveries along the Chadakoin River. They are eager to foster the same sense of environmental stewardship that they have developed through their studies of this precious natural resource. To do this, the PWA Youth Ambassadors will lead a trash cleanup to improve habitat quality along the river. If you would like to participate, please arrive...
Read MoreMagnificent Bryozoan
And now for something completely different: a brick! More specifically, a brick with a colony of microscopic aquatic animals on it. This strange blob is a colonial freshwater bryozoan, also known as the Magnificent Bryozoan (Pectinatella magnifica). The brick is an old, classic Jamestown street paver. Both were found during our survey of the Chadakoin River in Jamestown today, as part of our Project Wild America youth ambassador program. I think this image illustrates nicely what we are finding during our surveys: at first glance the habitat looks run down, trash-filled and hardly worth a...
Read MoreGarbage Mentality
It is one cup left on one rock in front of one ocean, and it certainly looks insignificant in this photo, but does the Atlantic really need one more piece of trash? If you are heading to the shore to fish, swim, build sandcastles, enjoy the wildlife, whatever your day may be, please do not leave anything behind. Every little bit does count. I am continually astounded at how many people trash their trash wherever they please around any open water as if the endless horizon will simply swallow it up, and I plan on making this more of a point going forward given all that we at RTPI do to help...
Read MoreProject Wild America Youth Ambassadors
Tomorrow we officially begin our summer stewards program: Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors! This summer our crew comprised of two college student leaders and six area high school students will be exploring the wild places along the Chadakoin River that flows right through downtown Jamestown. They will be studying the many species that call the river corridor home, and I’m certain we will find some incredible species as well as learn more about the species we know occupy specific niches created within this urban environment. Our students will also be connecting to the local...
Read MoreDigging Nests
Could it be that time already?! The abundant warmth and sunshine has been drawing the spiny softshell turtles out to bask, swim and now excavate! This big girl was digging away in the gravel, pitching big clods of dirt and stones with her powerful back legs working to create a safe nest hole to drop her eggs. Once the eggs are laid, the turtles will develop throughout the summer and hatch in late August and early September. Last summer we didn’t witness any little ones hatching as many of the nests were predated. But we’ve got our fingers crossed that this summer will prove to be...
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