Upcoming Jim Berry RTPI program: “History of the Field Guide”
Jim Berry will present a program on the “History of the Field Guide” at the next meeting of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute Ornithological Club. The meeting will be held at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, 311 Curtis Street in Jamestown, New York on Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m. What more fitting tribute could there be than for this program to be presented in the “house that Roger built?” Jamestown native Dr. Roger Tory Peterson was widely recognized as the most prestigious and influential naturalist and conservationist of the twentieth century. Dr. Peterson essentially invented...
Read MoreMonarchs massing in migration
This past weekend I visited a prime spot for Monarch butterfly migration: the coastal grasslands of Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut. Even four or six years ago one could expect to find hundreds of Monarchs at the site during the peak migratory period. The last couple of years have seen a dramatic collapse in their numbers in many parts of North America. As one of the most visible and widely known environmental disasters of the 21st century the plight of the species has been a subject of discussion for the masses. Thankfully I was able to see a decent mass of Monarchs at this...
Read MoreRTPI and SUNY JCC studying Spiny Softshell Turtles
This fall we have two interns from SUNY Jamestown Community College working with us on the study and research of the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) population present in the Chadakoin River, located mere moments from our campus in Jamestown, New York. The state-listed turtle is listed as “special concern” and we are thankful to have this nearby area where we have found them successfully nesting. The Chadakoin River has a history of being surrounded by development and industry, making contamination of various sorts and water quality major concerns. However, the...
Read MorePennsylvania Elk
Typically when most people think of North American Elk (Cervus elaphus), they picture them scattered across a beautiful mountainous landscape in the Rockies or dotting a grassland prairie in the Midwest. What many fail to think of however, is elk in their own backyard or wooded property right here in the eastern United States; many except those in “elk country” Pennsylvania. Historically, Pennsylvania was like most states having a healthy elk population with copious amounts of prime habitat capable of sustaining the largest member of the deer family. However, upon the arrival of...
Read MoreCrotalus horridus
Notice anything about the Timber Rattlesnake’s Latin name? Crotalus horridus? The species was named for the undeserved dread it inspired in many of the first colonists 300 years ago and the persecution of apex predators begin as soon as they arrived. The Gray Wolf is another example of a misunderstood and exaggerated fear that has been passed on unnecessarily through generations in America. Thanks to intensive research and a renewed educational media focus (less Little Red Riding Hood and more informative, factual documentaries) they have had a much more positive perception in recent...
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