March speaker – Dr. John D. Juriga
Dr. John D. Juriga will present a program on artist and illustrator Bob Hines (1912-1994) at a public reception for the exhibition of the works of Bob Hines now hosted at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History on Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m. Dr. Juriga, a Hines biographer, will help to tell the story of one of the pioneers of the American conservation movement, whose paintings and drawings helped Americans better appreciate our natural heritage. Bob Hines is well known for his work in developing the federal Duck Stamp program, which has generated over $700 million to protect...
Read MoreCentral American Banded Gecko (Coleonyx mitratus) by Twan Leenders
Here are a few looks at the Central American Banded Gecko (Coleonyx mitratus) taken by Twan in Meet Your Neighbours style while in Costa Rica in December 2013. This is a breathtaking creature. The color scheme is incredible… …and I love those eyes. It won’t be long until we can go “herping” in our own backyards!
Read MoreConnecticut’s friendly coyotes
Connecticut is a strange and unique region that often seems to me to be an open zoo along the coast and through the center of the state. These are the major population centers where natural habitat and resources have been severely reduced or strained. The tireless efforts of federal, state and local agencies, organizations and conservationists help to preserve and protect what is left. However, there is only so much that can be done with so little open space left in some areas. Packs of coyotes can be heard howling away nearly every night in this time of the year in my area of Connecticut....
Read MoreEcological catastrophes: what’s here, what’s next?
For my first blog post of 2014 I wanted to talk about something I ponder frequently in this line of work – apart from the ongoing environmental disasters we acknowledge and in some cases are working to correct, what silent or invisible calamities are occurring right now that we should be detecting, analyzing and stopping? Climate change is the number one global nightmare that is finally being accepted by the average person, something that is long overdue. However, we are nowhere near addressing it and it may already be too late in many regards. Smaller scale disasters like the spread of...
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