Loch Ness Monster?
Loch Ness Monster? Ut oh, it’s surfacing, and it’s looking directly at me! Or maybe not…but close enough in look and unfortunately somewhat in status. Horned Grebes (Podiceps auritus) are listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as “Vulnerable”. We often do not get to enjoy them close-up like these views I was afforded last week. While their wintering plumage is meant to camouflage them in the water, their piercing red eyes are a bright beacon on even the dullest of late winter days. Keep an eye out...
Read MoreInvasive Species Management Webinar
Today, Wednesday February 24 at 6pm we will be showing the Invasive Species Management: Picking battles large enough to matter and small enough to win webinar by Norris Muth of Juniata College. Norris will be calling in for the discussion portion of the webinar to answer questions from the audience. Webinar description: It is a safe bet that every parcel of privately owned forest land in Pennsylvania has multiple invasive species. With these invasive species posing more problems than can possibly all be solved at once, how can landowners decide when and how to act? We will discuss some ways...
Read MoreHWA Survey Season
Once again it’s that time of year to brave the cold for conservation sake! That’s right, the season for surveying Eastern Hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis) for the presence of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) has officially begun. Commonly referred to as HWA, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is an aphid-like invasive insect that specifically attacks species within the Tsuga genus. Within the United States, four species of hemlock exist: Western and Mountain hemlock in the Pacific Northwest and Eastern and Carolina hemlock throughout the east. Each of these species are fair game for...
Read MoreCommon Buckeye
You can still find butterflies like the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) even here in November. This individual was sunning itself on a cool morning, still looking like those wings are in great shape in late autumn. Our science and conservation staff surveys and records butterflies across a multitude of sites in New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, helping to increase the knowledge of range and abundance for certain species, discover early or late individuals pushing the boundaries of flight seasons, and adding layers information on the biodiversity at important locations. We also work to...
Read MoreTwan in Action
I snapped this photograph of RTPI President Twan Leenders during one of the final days of setting up our Art and the Animal exhibition. Twan deserves our congratulations and constant thanks for doing such a tremendous job leading our Art, Education and Conservation initiatives on the ground in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Panama, Costa Rica – all over America and the world! He is at the forefront of our efforts to continue to ensure Roger Tory Peterson’s legacy reverberates across the globe, and I know I speak for everyone here at RTPI when I say we know how very lucky we...
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