RTPI 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 MoreRTPI’s Conservation Technician Attends Silviculture Workshop
Last week RTPI’s Elyse Henshaw had the opportunity to attend a training session offered by the U.S. Forest Service and Penn State Extension to learn about the ecology and silviculture of the Allegheny Hardwood forests. Within the discipline of forestry, silviculture is a standard management practice in which foresters and other natural resource managers control the establishment, growth, health and composition of a forest in order to meet a variety needs for wildlife, recreation, water quality and timber in a sustainable manner. Silviculture is used throughout New York and Pennsylvania to...
Read MoreCelebrate ‘Salamander Saturday’ on May 5th!
Seven-hundred unique species; ranging in size from 1 inch to 6 feet long; residing on 5 out of the world’s 7 continents; filling important niches while rarely being seen… These are salamanders! RTPI will host a special “Salamander Saturday” event on May 5th from 10am-2pm. This celebration of all things slimy, inspired by the annual international Salamander Saturday event initiated by the Foundation for the Conservation of Salamanders, is aimed at raising awareness of our local and regional salamanders, their habitats, and their importance to the ecosystems in which they reside....
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...
Read MoreSaw-whet Owl Banding
Last night RTPI’s Elyse Henshaw joined US Forest Service researchers in their attempts to capture and band migrating Northern Saw-whet owls. Throughout the evening the researchers captured four birds in their mist nets, and subsequently collected data on each individual including physical measurements, age, sex and overall health. Each owl was then outfitted with a uniquely numbered leg band and then released back into the night. If and when these birds are captured again, the data collected contribute to better a better understanding of the movements and ecology of these charismatic little...
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