The Message of the Monarchs by Becky Nystrom
Nature and her creatures are suffering, and they’re calling for our help. The message of the monarchs (Danaus plexippus), a once widespread and iconic organism now threatened with extinction, is but one of many species in unprecedented decline, pleading for our attention and action. Monarchs have much to teach us, and the plight of this amazing and ancient organism is a warning to us all that an ecological Armageddon may be underway. The eastern monarch’s mind-boggling three thousand-mile multigenerational migration between Mexico and North America is unlike any other in the world. On their...
Read MoreRTPI to host: Snakes, Spiders, and Bats! Oh, My!
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History invites you to join us for “Snakes, Spiders, and Bats! Oh, my!” on Friday, October 11th from 5:30-8:00 pm. The Buffalo Zoo’s education department will be on site from 5:30-6:30pm with their “Zoo Mobile” to introduce guests to an array snakes, bats and spiders, and from 6:30 to 8:00 three knowledgeable and passionate local biologists (Twan Leenders, Becky Nystrom, and Jonathan Townsend) will explore the causes and consequences of the common misconceptions surrounding these creatures that so many consider creepy. This seasonally appropriate...
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 MoreAdvocating for Amphibian Awareness
RTPI’s Conservation Technician, Elyse Henshaw, paid a visit to Houghton College http://www.houghton.edu/ this week to deliver a presentation on the Eastern Hellbender, North America’s largest salamander species. Hellbenders are declining at an alarming rate due in large part to deteriorating habitat quality, but RTPI is working with partners to raise awareness of the plight of these iconic amphibians, and to take measures to conserve remaining populations. Houghton students and faculty also had the opportunity to meet RTPI’s resident hellbenders, Oneka and Tweeg, who came to RTPI from the...
Read MoreRTPI Fundraising Raffle
We’re getting excited as our ‘Hellbender House Party’ fundraising event draws near! We have lots of mini raffle items that will be up for grabs, including the RTPI swag pictured here! 😉 Stop in anytime this week to purchase tickets for your chance to win some of these great items! Winners will be drawn at 1pm on Saturday. Details about the event can be found here: http://rtpi.org/hellbender-house-party-1118/
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