RTPI Begins New Plastic Pollution Research Initiative
Plastics have been around in their current form for decades, and estimates suggest that more than 8 billion metric tons have been created since large-scale production of plastic started in the 1950s. The vast majority of plastic that has been created is still in existence today – resting in landfills or floating around the planet’s waterways as litter. Plastics do not biodegrade, they photodegrade. This means that they don’t readily break down into their constituent materials, they simply break down into smaller and smaller particles. This aspect of their chemistry is creating cause for...
Read MoreForest Pest Task Force
Please join us at RTPI on Wednesday, September 13th from 1:00-3:00PM for the fall Chautauqua County Forest Pest Task Force meeting! The task force will discuss ongoing forest pest issues such as the spread of Emerald Ash Borer, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Oak Wilt and other new diseases or pests impacting our local, regional and state forests. The public is welcome to attend and contribute to the discussions!
Read MoreZombie Fungus?
During a recent Hemlock Woolly Adelgid survey, one of our volunteers found a little yellow blob attached to a hemlock twig. The mass was clearly not HWA, but curiosity prompted me to bring it back to the office for examination. A closer look under the microscope revealed that the blob actually consisted of a powdery fungus encapsulating a dead spider! After a bit of research, I came to suspect that it might be some sort of Cordyceps; a genus of parasitic fungi capable of taking control of an arthropod, thus directing it to navigate to a favorable position for the fungi’s spores to...
Read MoreAmazing Line-Up For National Invasive Species Awareness Week
Trying to combat cabin fever this winter? Looking for some interesting and educational events to attend? Between February 27th and March 4th, RTPI is partnering with the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNY PRISM) to host a series of events at our Jamestown headquarters in recognition of National Invasive Species Awareness Week. The schedule for the week is as follows: Monday February 27th at 6pm-“Bird and Invasives” Guest Lecture by Andrea Locke, WNY PRISM Coordinator Wednesday March 1st at 6pm-“Earthworms: Friends to Gardens or Foes...
Read MoreScary Forest Pests
Happy Halloween everyone! I don’t know if anyone will be dressed up like an Emerald Ash Borer for Halloween, like our Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors were for their invasives community outreach event over the summer, but we should be on the lookout for these and other scary pests on this Hallow’s eve. While tonight will be fairly warm, the cooler weather is on its way and the need for firewood will increase. As you cut or buy wood to heat your home for the winter or get that last camping trip in before the snow flies, you should be aware of where your wood is coming from...
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