Monk Parakeet
Are we sure Monk Parakeets aren’t native? They certainly look right at home sometimes…and they often make me think of the extinct Carolina Parakeet that we never had the opportunity to see outside of a drawer in the RTPI archives. We as naturalists and conservationists must be working hard every single day so that our currently threatened species do not end up solely as parts of museum collections. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreIllegal Snake Collection
This story from USFWS Northeast Region concerning the illegal collection and sale of wild reptiles is precisely the reason that we as an organization and as scientists are so careful about disclosing sensitive biological information. It is why I was and will be extremely secretive about locations of species like Timber Rattlesnakes whether it is to protect them from collection or from death. While most people are certainly considerate of life in the world around us there will always be a select misguided few who seek to profit or lash out from ignorance. I am hopeful our constant education...
Read MoreExquisite Miniatures
This is the final week to come see Exquisite Miniatures at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History! Wes and Rachelle Siegrist are an American husband and wife team who mesmerize viewers with miniature paintings so exquisitely crafted that they are often mistaken for tiny photographs. Their tiny treasures, as collectors often refer to them, typically measure less than nine square inches and appear even more detailed when viewed under magnification! A hallmark of their work is their ability to convey the feeling of a larger canvas or the essence of the natural world in miniature....
Read MoreHappy birthday Roger Tory Peterson!
Happy birthday to Roger Tory Peterson! Dr. Peterson would have been 106 years old today. He believed that the key to solving environmental problems was to understand and appreciate the plants and animals in our world through art, education and conservation. This is a philosophy we at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute embrace wholeheartedly – learn it, love it, protect it! Please come see us at RTPI (311 Curtis Street in Jamestown, New York) to view Dr. Peterson’s work and collections and to learn more about our natural world. Here he is hard at work as photographed by Noble...
Read MoreRoger Tory Peterson woodpecker plate
Throwback Thursday – Roger Tory Peterson with one of his exquisite woodpecker plates as taken by Noble Proctor. Can you identify the birds? I’ve seen all three! Maybe the last one was not living…you can find the Red-headed Woodpecker uncommonly in a few locations Western New York and the Pileated Woodpecker in areas of sizable mature forests. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is in RTPI’s collection along with several other now extinct species.
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