RTPI Signs
If you visit us at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History to see Art and the Animal please be on the lookout for these signs while walking in. You should also look for them all over our, and Roger Tory Peterson’s, hometown of Jamestown, New York for our cell phone tour called, “In the Footsteps of Roger Tory Peterson.” This mobile tour has fifteen stops scattered around the Jamestown area, highlighting Roger’s childhood and the locations where he was first inspired by nature, portraying how he began a lifelong career devoted to art, conservation and education. It is...
Read MoreMeadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)
We had a squee moment a couple weeks ago when our Project Wild America students came across a pair of baby meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) in our path along the Chadakoin River. According to an old wives tale, handling baby wildlife will deter the mother from returning, due to the human scent, ultimately leaving the little ones for dead. Thankfully, these tales are far from true. While it is best practice to leave little ones where you find them, picking them up isn’t a death sentence. Our students were alerted to the voles as they were squeaking from within the grass clump they...
Read MoreProject Wild America Wrap Up
It’s 7am and about 55° on the morning of our last turtle trapping day with our Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors. I roll up to the Riverwalk to find all our students ready to give things a final go. All of us are beat from a long couple weeks of intensive trapping efforts and exploration of various sites along the Chadakoin River. However, we each feel accomplished with how many different species we have found and the impact we have made on the local community through the sharing of our findings and experiences. There is a dwindling optimism as we deploy our 35 foot seine net,...
Read MoreWhere the Wild Things Are; Chadakoin River Ecology Showcase
Where the Wild Things Are; Chadakoin River Ecology Showcase – Saturday, August 8th; 10:30am-12:30 pm on the Riverwalk downtown Jamestown (behind Friendly’s restaurant) Roger Tory Peterson Institutes ‘Wild America’ initiatives aim to reinvigorate and perpetuate appreciation of our local natural heritage. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Roger Tory Peterson’s telling of his own journey to discover the untamed reaches of our continent in the book by the same name. RTPI’s Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors, a group of 6 area high school students and 2 JCC students supervised by...
Read MoreChadakoin River Trash Cleanup
Take a Walk on the Wildside; Chadakoin River Trash Cleanup – Friday, August 7th; 1-4pm at McCrea Point, Jamestown Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors have had an amazing experience this summer, making many fascinating discoveries along the Chadakoin River. They are eager to foster the same sense of environmental stewardship that they have developed through their studies of this precious natural resource. To do this, the PWA Youth Ambassadors will lead a trash cleanup to improve habitat quality along the river. If you would like to participate, please arrive...
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