80 years of field guides
Roger Tory Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds was released on April 27, 1934. This past Thursday Twan posted this photo on our Facebook page to commemorate passing the date on “Throwback Thursday”. The original guide was a catalyst that started miraculous things on many levels – from sparking a passion for bird watching in millions to providing the conservation movement a tool to support environmental awareness, understanding and stewardship. I made sure to follow that up with a personal story… Those are my grandfather’s, father’s and my own field...
Read MoreSpring projects accelerating
We are about to hit the busiest time of our year as spring and summer field work and active conservation projects go into full swing on the ground in Western New York and nearby areas of Pennsylvania. We are working seven days a week nonstop during these seasons to collect data, conduct research, educate the public and train the next generation of scientists. Here are only some of the major initiatives that are underway at the moment: In 2001 RTPI published a Natural History Atlas to the Chautauqua-Allegheny Region, culminating several years of environmental education work through a matching...
Read MoreBeach birds and volunteer monitoring
Yesterday I was a part of beach training for the new volunteer monitors of the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds (AAfCW). This session, to help those entering the AAfCW program with how to safely monitor and survey Piping Plovers and Least Terns, was conducted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with staff from Audubon Connecticut and myself from RTPI on hand. AAfCW and our collective staff act as a bridge to aid the State of Connecticut and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, regulatory agencies for these state and, in the case of the Piping Plover,...
Read MoreHelp Connecticut’s waterbirds
Connecticut volunteers and citizen scientists, can you assist in erecting string fencing and signage for Piping Plovers and other waterbirds? The first date is tomorrow at Sandy/Morse Points in West Haven at 10:00AM where our group will meet in the parking lot. Volunteers should bring: work gloves, water, a snack, appropriate footwear, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats and whatever else you may need avoid too much sun. These locations can either be quite cool or very warm depending on the day so dress for any weather. A pocket knife or multi-tool can be handy and a sledge hammer or mallet can be...
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