Slaty Skimmer
This Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) is not hanging out in the desert, though it may look like that from this photo. Much of the region is running a strong rainfall deficit from the past few months with many areas abnormally dry and some in the midst of moderate drought. This combined with higher than average temperatures and aggressive destruction of vegetation in areas around ponds like this one (I promise there is a pond out of sight in this photo with actual water) can make what was a favorable area for insects and thus birds and other wildlife far less attractive and beneficial. Water...
Read MoreGlossy Ibis
This is not a bird you expect to fly by low over your head, nor one you are ready to turn up and shoot…but here is the Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), a wader of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The species is actually present on six continents, and because it is a long-legged wading bird found in our coastal marshes it is one of the many species we tally in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds. Protecting their habitat, tracking their populations, and studying where they are and when all helps us learn more now and utilize better conservation management practices later. Scott...
Read MoreLimosa Harlequin Frog (Atelopus limosa)
This is what it is all about – being able to see healthy Limosa Harlequin Frogs (Atelopus limosus) in their natural environment and trying to unlock the secrets of this population through our research in Cocobolo Nature Reserve, Panama. Hopefully we can we help to expand the size of this population through careful habitat management and apply the lessons learned elsewhere to allow other populations of this, and some of the many other endangered amphibians in the world to return where they belong: in a healthy environment. Twan Leenders RTPI President
Read MoreLyme Disease Sign
Here is a terrific educational notice that I enjoyed seeing on the wall during a recent veterinarian visit with my dog. Using artwork created by children to help teach the public educates both the visitors and the children who are creating it. We use the same outreach techniques in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds with signs drawn by hundreds of school children which we then laminate and post on beaches and offshore islands to let beachgoers and boaters know there are endangered birds nesting in the area. We certainly see less damage to them than other more generic, bland and...
Read MoreNational Invasive Species Awareness Week
National Invasive Species Awareness Week – February 21-27, 2016 RTPI will be offering multiple events to the public during this increasingly important week including: Monday February 22 at 6pm Ken Parker will be presenting Eco-logic: Using Native Plants in the Landscape. Ken will be discussing the importance of using native plants in landscaping as opposed to non-natives, as well as the Seneca Nation Native Plant Policy that went into effect last year. Ken Parker is a passionate indigenous horticulturalist with strong ties to Mother Earth and Native cultures. A New York State...
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