Help Wanted: Great Backyard Bird Count
Over President’s Day weekend (Friday, February 14 thru Monday, February 17, 2020), bird enthusiasts of all ages and abilities throughout the world are urged to count birds in their backyards or local parks as part of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. It doesn’t cost money. You can do it “bare-handed” just by watching out your kitchen window. It’s fun and educational. And it really helps contribute valuable information to bird conservation. The Falconer Public Library will host a free indoor introduction to the Great Backyard Bird Count on Wednesday, 02/12 from 5:30 – 6:00 PM....
Read MoreRTPI Joins the High Allegheny Hemlock Conservation Partnership to Offer Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Early Detection Training
Although autumn is just beginning in Western New York and Pennsylvania, the winter season will soon be upon us. The colder months, November through March to be exact, are the best time of year to search the area’s forests for an invasive forest pest known as Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). HWA is an aphid-like insect, originating from Asia, which feeds off of the food storage cells below the needles of an Eastern Hemlock tree and hides itself under white woolly masses for protection. Within only a matter of 4-10 years an individual tree can succumb to an HWA infestation if left unnoticed. This...
Read MoreChris Linder presents “Adelie Penguins of the Antarctic” and “The Big Thaw”.
Chris Linder will present “Adelie Penguins of the Antarctic” and “The Big Thaw” on Wednesday, March 21st at 7p.m. in Jamestown Community College’s Scharmann Theater in Jamestown, NY. Linder, photographer, filmmaker, and visual storyteller, holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanography Institution. Linder’s education provides the unique skills and insights to record the nuances of scientific exploration and research...
Read MoreNational Bird Feeding Month
February 2nd is Groundhog’s Day – that time of year when those of us living in temperate climates turn our attention to a furry brown marmot awaiting its “prediction” as to whether or not winter weather will persist for another six weeks. But did you know that February is also National Wild Bird Feeding Month? Putting up a bird feeder in your backyard can be an entertaining and educational way to pass the time while winter persists, and it will help keep our feathered friends fed until their spring food resources emerge. Want to know what the most common feeder birds are and how to attract...
Read MoreCalling All Citizen Scientists: Help Protect Our Hemlock Trees!
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an aphid-like insect, originating from Asia, which is devastating Hemlock trees throughout much of the Eastern United States. This deadly bug has been progressively moving closer to our area, and early detection of HWA is crucial to effectively managing its spread. This winter season we are once again conducting a series of field surveys in which the public is invited to join and work alongside conservationists from RTPI, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy and Jamestown Community College to monitor for the presence of this invasive pest. Want to get...
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