Blog Entries

Birdwatcher - Peterson Biography Due Out in Paperback

jberry@rtpi.org — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Liz Rosenthal authored a terrific biography of Roger Tory Peterson that was first published in 2008 during the Peterson's Centennial year celebration. It is being republished in paperback and will hut the store shelves in March, 2010. Naturalst and Peterson colleague George Harrison said the book is... "Bril [...]

Lakes & Watersheds Course

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Lakes and Their Watersheds: An Introduction to Lakes, Lake Ecology, and Lake Management, taught by Dr. Thomas Erlandson, is a non-credit course offered during the 2010 Spring Semester by the Center for Continuing Education at Jamestown Community College.

The eight-week course focuses on lakes and lake issues in Chautauqua County, New York, with sessions taught on Wednesday evenings, March 3 to April 28, 6-9 PM, in the Carnahan Building on the JCC Jamestown Campus.

Everyone [...]

Calling All Nature Writers

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

RTPI and Highlights Foundation team up to provide writers and illustrators (including aspiring writers and illustrators) with a unique opportunity to learn the craft of nature writing for children from experts in the field. Sign up now for Writing from Nature: Blazing a Path from Field Journal to Publication, April 21 - 25, 2010, at the Highlights Foundation's beautiful retreat setting in Boyds Mills, Pennsylvania. See you there!

Nature Journaling in Minnesota

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Prairie Wetlands Learning Center in Fergus Falls, Minnesota is one of our favorite places for environmental education and a great example of what we're working to accomplish across the country. In the summer of 2008 I introduced the staff there to techniques for teaching others to keep nature journals. Now look what they're doing!

Nature Journaling Workshops

Winter: Thursday, January 28 [...]

School Field Trips a Blast!

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The education program we designed to accompany our current exhibition, Mapping the Birds of New York, continues to enthrall school children who come to visit. It's nice to get notes back from the kids, who not only thank us for the fun they had but also show us what they learned. Here's one from a student at Love Elementary School in Jamestown:

Dear Mr. Baldwin, Miss Nelson, and Mr. Sherman,

Thank you for the t [...]

Dan Vogan Performs at Open House

jberry@rtpi.org — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Guitarist and singer Dan Vogan performed at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute Open House on Saturday December 5, 2009. Our visitors enjoyed Dan's style of contemporary and classic popular music while they t [...]

Peterson's Studio Threatened

jberry@rtpi.org — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Roger Tory Peterson studio in Old Lyme will become 'extinct' if it's not preserved

By Jenna Cho

The Day

New London, CT

Published 11/21/2009

Old Lyme - Roger Tory Peterson was a giant in his field, and his name resonates to this day as someone who revolutionized the world of birding.

There's the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Peterson's hometown of Jamestown, N.Y. The penguin exhibit at the Mystic [...]

Midwest Birding Symposium Makes Donation to RTPI

jberry@rtpi.org — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History of Jamestown, New York is pleased to announce the receipt of a $1,000 contribution made possible by the 800 birding and nature enthusiasts who took part in the Midwest Birding Symposium (MBS) from September 17-20, 2009 in Lakeside, Ohio.

Bill Thompson III, MBS Coordinator said, "The Ohio Ornithological Society, Birdwatcher's Digest, and the community of L [...]

Who Was Blanche Hornbeck?

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

In an earlier post I passed along some information that gave us a glimpse into the life of little-known Blanche Hornbeck, the remarkable teacher who ignited Roger Tory Peterson's passion for birds when he was a student in her seventh-grade science class at Washington Junior High School in Jamestown, New York. Her record of employment, in the Jamestown Public School files, noted her place of birth: Hartstown, Pennsylvania.

I stopped briefly in Hartstown the other day. It really is not mu [...]

RTP Children's Book Team Visits RTPI

janejohnson@rtpi.org — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Writer Peggy Thomas (left) and illustrator Laura Jacques (right) were at RTPI last week doing research for a project they are working on. The product of their collaboration will be a children's book about Roger Tory Peterson. The book will be published by Boyds Mills Press. We are looking forward to seeing this new work when it is completed, Peggy and Laura!

Berry & Keeler Attend Foundation Open House

jberry@rtpi.org — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Nancy Keeler, RTPI Director of Development and Jim Berry, President visited the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Open House on November 12 and had the pleasure of speaking about RTPI's programs with Jim Roselli of WJTN of Jamestown, New York.

Jefferson MS visits RTPI

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Thirty-six 6th grade students from Jefferson Middle School in Jamestown took a field trip to RTPI today to explore our Mapping the Birds of New York exhibition. Mark and Tina guided them through three learning activities, which are tailor-made for the school curriculum for science, math and social studies.

Students role-played data-collecting citizen scientists and nest site-seeking birds in a changing New Yor [...]

Who Was Blanche Hornbeck?

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Much has recently been written, and is being written, about Roger Tory Peterson; in fact, this week we are hosting Laura Jacques, a Connecticut artist assigned to illustrate a new RTP biography for children.

But what about Blanche Hornbeck, the seventh grade science teacher whom RTP credited with igniting his lifelong passion for the world of birds? We don't have much information about her but here's an interesting document, courtesy of Pamela Brown and the archives of Jamestown Public [...]

Fletcher School Day at RTPI

mbaldwin@rtpi.org — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Kids from Jamestown's Fletcher Elementary School, and their parents, enjoyed a Saturday morning of fun and learning as part of RTPI's effort to welcome the community to the fantastic exhibition, Mapping the Birds of New York.

RTPI teacher/naturalist Tina Nelson immersed the students in the exhibit as they role-played scientists, sought out connections between breeding birds and their habitats, and explored the reaso [...]

Peterson Field Guide Wins Another Honor

jberry@rtpi.org — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The National Outdoor Book Awards were recently announced and the new edition of Peterson's classic field guide, the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America won the Nature Guidebook Category. The book conveniently combines his eastern and western guidebooks into one volume.

The winners of this annual award program represent some of the finest outdoor w [...]

Lakes & Their Watersheds Course

jberry@rtpi.org — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This eight-week course will focus on the lakes of Chautauqua County with emphasis on Chautauqua Lake and will give participants an introduction to lakes and their problems, an overview of aquatic organisms and their ecological relationships, as well as a guide for living with the lakes and their watersheds. Participants can attend individual modules or attend the series. Participants who sign up for the series will receive a textbook which is included in the cost. Classes meet o [...]

Birds of South Asia with Pam Rasmussen

jberry@rtpi.org — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Pam Rasmussen

Pam gave a terrific presentation to members and friends of the Roger Tory Peterson institute on Wednesday October 28, 2009. She told the story of her 10-year project of totally revising the Birds of South Asia: Ripley Guide that became a totally new work. Pam attempted to document all the underling records that constituted earlier checklists of the region and f [...]

Polar Pumpkin Departs Jamestown, NY

jberry@rtpi.org — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Art Mortvedt with RTPI staffer Jane Johnson.

These photos were taken at the Chautauqua County, NY Airport the morning of October 11, 2009. Polar Pumpkin pilot Art Mortvedt presented a program, Polar Flight 90, the evening before at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.

Cessna 185 [...]

Bold Black-capped Chickadee

jberry@rtpi.org — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This came in from a RTPI member so I thought I'd share it with you. Jim Berry

My dad had started feeding birds by hand in the 1980's and its due to his love of this bird that I decided to tr [...]

Thayer Birding Software Founder Speaks About RTPI

jberry@rtpi.org — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, New York is fortunate to have Pete Thayer serving as a member of the board. here he speaks about RTPI.