RTPI Staff Blog

NORTHEASTERN PA – In a workshop titled “Nature Writing Boot Camp,” award-winning authors, illustrators, and editors will teach the craft of writing nature books and articles for children.

The workshop will be held by the Highlights Foundation from April 16 to 19, 2012, near Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

“Kids need great reading in nature subjects,” says workshop leader Andy Boyles. “In the tradition of Rachel Carson, John Burroughs, and Jean Craighead George, we need to help kids develop a lasting connection with nature. We’re here to help writers succeed in that work.”

Through presentations, one-to-one writing critiques, and ample writing time, the faculty will help authors propel their writing careers to new heights. The workshop will also feature nature-journaling techniques for improving observational skills and recording details.

The faculty includes accomplished professionals.

Dianna Hutts Aston is the author of many books for children, including the award-winning An Egg Is Quiet and A Seed Is Sleepy, both illustrated by Sylvia Long. The Moon Over Star, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award in  2009. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama chose The Moon Over Star to read at an inner-city school in Washington, D.C., in February 2009.

Robert Hynes has been illustrating nature subjects for both children and adults for decades. During this time, he has created more artwork for the National Park Service, National Geographic Society, and the Smithsonian Institution than any other illustrator in the United States. His illustrations are also found in the Skipping Stones award-winning title for Exceptional Multicultural and Nature/Ecology Books, Muskrat Will Be Swimming.

Nature-journaling expert Mark Baldwin will lead nature walks centered on the techniques of nature journaling. He is education director of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Jamestown, New York. An avid naturalist and educator, Baldwin has been keeping nature journals for twenty years. Since 1990, he has taught his craft to more than 3,000 students, teachers, and amateur naturalists.

Andy Boyles is science editor at Highlights magazine and the company’s trade-book division, Boyds Mills Press. He has worked with Jack Myers, Sarah C. Campbell, Pamela Kirby, Laurence Pringle, Dougal Dixon, Sandra Markle, and many others.

The workshop will be held at the home of the Highlights for Children Founders, situated in scenic northeastern Pennsylvania. Surrounded by a 1,300-acre forest, the property is home to whitetail deer, timid black bears, and a variety of birds and other wildlife—a naturalist’s delight.

“Nature Writing Boot Camp” is cosponsored by the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI) of Jamestown, New York, and the Highlights Foundation, Inc., of Boyds Mills, Pennsylvania.

RTPI is a national, nonprofit nature-education organization with headquarters at the birthplace of world-renowned artist and naturalist Roger Tory Peterson (1908–1996). Dedicated to preserving the collections and legacy of Dr. Peterson, RTPI’s mission is to create passion for and knowledge of the natural world in the hearts and minds of children by inspiring and guiding the study of nature. The mission reflects the belief that people who develop awareness and passion for the natural world will become committed to its preservation.

Roger Tory Peterson saw himself first as a teacher. He used his exquisite skills in painting, photography, and writing to bring the wonders of nature to everyone. Workshop leader Mark Baldwin continues this tradition, emphasizing that “sharing your sense of wonder about nature with children takes special skills. It takes an alert mind, a keen sense of observation, and a passionate heart to translate nature’s language into words that come alive on a page.”

The Highlights Foundation created its Founders Workshops to raise the level of the offering of writing and illustrating for children. A variety of programs are presented for all levels of writers, from those just getting started to those who are published but wish to hone their skills. These workshops are led by successful, supportive authors and editors determined to help writers achieve their goals.

Limited to thirty participants, the intimate setting is unique. Participants are housed on-site in fully-furnished and comfortable rustic cabins.

For more information, contact the program assistant, Jo Lloyd, at 570-253-1192 or jalloyd@highlightsfoundation.org.

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Taken in the early 1980's by Birgit Freybe Bateman at Slimbridge, this piece of history shows from left to right, Robert Batemen, Roger Tory Peterson and Sir Peter Scott.  If we can pin down the exact date of this picture I'll let you know!

 

A side note: Sir Peter was the son of Rober Falcon Scott who died 100 years ago during his epic journay to the Soth Pole.  He arrived at the pole soon after Norwegian Raold Amundsen.  Amundsen and his men returned, Robert Falcom Scott and his men did not.  SIr Peter was 2-years old at the time.

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"For the Birds: the Life of Roger Tory Peterson" was superbly written by noted children's book author Peggy Thomas and illustrated by the the one-and-only Laura Jacques. A better team could not have been put together to bring the accomplishments of Roger Tory Peterson to life for young people.  Peterson's life was a classic American success story where one person's talent, abilty and passion can influence the world.  Thanks to Roger Tory Peterson we have a world of bird watchers who are able to exeperience nature every day in their own backyards.

 

This book should be under every Christmas tree if there is a young naturalist or historian under the roof!

 

Check the bottom of our website home page at www.rtpi.org for ordering instructions or go to your favorite bookseller.

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RTPI teamed up with Jamestown Community College last weekend to continue the nature education benefits of the Randolph Mammoth, a 13,000-year-old Columbian mammoth unearthed near Randolph, NY in 1934 and currently on display at RTPI, on loan from the NYS Museum.

Dr. Robert Feranec, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the NYS Museum and Dr. Tom Erlandson, professor emeritus at JCC, presented a weekend series of programs that enabled participants to visualize landforms, climate and ecological conditions at the close of the last Ice Age.

Bob and Tom presented a round-table seminar at JCC Friday afternoon, Bob presented a program at JCC's Carnahan Theater Friday evening and the two teamed up to take a group of folks on a guided tour of WNY glacial geology. It was an awesome and educational experience!

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The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History's (RTPI) President/Executive Director, Jim Berry, is retiring in 2012.  The board of trustees through its search committee is actively seeking a new executive and invites interested persons to apply. Please download the full version of the position description here.

Position Profile

President/Executive Director

Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History

Jamestown, New York

 

The Mission

To continue the legacy of Roger Tory Peterson by promoting the teaching and study of nature, and to thereby create knowledge of and appreciation and responsibility for the natural world.

 

Passed: July 14, 2005 and under current review by the Board of Trustees for rewording only.

 

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute invites applications for the position of President/Executive Director.  Established in 1985, the Institute is a 501c3, non-profit science and environmental education center serving teachers, youth, families, and communities in the western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania region through its on-site programs, archives, and exhibits, and throughout the United States through its online programs, visiting educator workshops, and traveling exhibits.  The organization’s roots derive from the vision and principles of the 20th Century's greatest naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson.  Our campus is located on a wooded 27-acre site adjacent to Jamestown Community College in the City of Jamestown, New York where our award-winning headquarters building is located, housing permanent and visiting museum displays, lecture hall, library, meeting areas, archives, and administrative and visiting-scientist offices.  We are an independent organization with a $600,000 annual budget, and a staff of five permanent employees and 30 volunteers. Jim Berry, our current Executive Director, will be retiring in May of 2012 after more than 16 years of outstanding leadership.  The Executive Director reports to the Board of Trustees, works directly with the Board’s Chair, and is responsible for oversight of the Institute's fundamental areas of activity:  Environmental Education; Development and Communications; Operations and Administration; Programs and Exhibits. More information can be found at http://www.rtpi.org/.

 

Primary Responsibility

To support vigorously and implement the Mission and Vision of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute

Primary Qualifications

Although all administrative duties must be carried out with excellence, we seek a candidate with two very special talents:

1. The ability to envision and implement programs that are grand in scope -- that will yield excellent results at the national level.

2. The ability to build and sustain a coalition of RTPI members, Board members, staff members, sponsors, foundations and strategic partners that support this vision with their time, talents, and money.

Background Qualifications

 

A Bachelors degree in an appropriate field is required and an advanced degree is preferred.

Background as top executive in a comparable nonprofit science and nature center organization or of a complex nonprofit organization with a mission focused on nature and science would be ideal. At a minimum, the candidate should have three years of executive leadership background in a comparable organization.  Alternative backgrounds could include: a leadership position in public agencies with a demonstrated commitment to and involvement with environmental nonprofit organizations or advanced degrees in one of the natural sciences with experience as a researcher and educator who is professionally prepared to step up to the President/Executive Director-level position.

 

Salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

 

 

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For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

Written by Peggy Thomas, Illustrated by Laura Jacques

Reviewed by Mark Baldwin, Director of Education

For years we've wanted a picture book to teach and inspire new generations of children about the life of our hero.

Our wait is finally over. For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson written by Peggy Thomas, illustrated by Laura Jacques, published by Boyds Mills Press, is the perfect way to introduce RTP to kids. And lucky us, just in time for holiday giving!

Peggy tells the story simply and clearly, salted with lively bird-related word play. We learn that as a youngster Roger sometimes didn't fit in. Other kids made fun of him. He felt misunderstood by his father. But we're not asked to pity Roger; he also had fun. The story unfolds with truth and sensitivity and in a way that children and adults will understand, especially those of us who are drawn to nature.

Jacques' illustrations are phenomenal. She captures 11-year-old Roger's shock at a startled Northern Flicker exploding into the air before his eyes, and a different kind of shock when at 17 he found himself receiving personal encouragement from his idol Louis Agassiz Fuertes. All with depth and graphic detail that makes you go back to look again and again.

There are extras. Inside the cover is a tongue-in-cheek Topography of a Birder, homage to Peterson's standard field guide introduction to parts of a bird. Peterson's actual notes and sketches are worked into the pages.

This book is a celebration of Roger's life, how, largely by means of his own determination and pluck, he became one of the most positively influential people of the 20th century. It's a great lesson for every kid who feels a little left out. Hang in there, work hard and you, too, can live your dream.

There's also a great lesson for grown-ups: like that teacher Miss Hornbeck, we, too, can turn a young life around by sharing our own passion for life and learning about the world around us. Be ready; you never know when a young Roger Peterson might come your way.

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On Saturday October 22, 2011 His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden visited Jamestown, New York, including the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. The King had visited Jamestown once before, in part to present Dr. Peterson with the Linneaus Gold Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Upon his return to Jamestown he especially requested a visit to RTPI to pay his respects to his friend.

 

The below video was submitted courtesy of Greg Peterson of Jamestown.

 

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M&T Vice-president Barbara Vogan presents RTPI President Jim Berry with $2,500 grant award for the purpose of supporting 2011 natural history exhibits. M&T Bank in western New York has been an outstanding supporter of RTPI's science education efforts for many years as well as Barb Vogan herself. Barb is a "fellow birder" and shares her back-yard sightings on RTPI's website education forum. Thanks M&T Bank from the board, staff and volunteers of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History!

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The third annual Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival, continuing the celebration of Roger Tory Peterson’s contributions to the world of birding, began with a tour of the grasslands of the Piney Tract in Pennsylvania and concluded with American Birding Association President Jeff Gordon’s banquet talk on bringing Roger Tory Peterson’s work into a digital age. In between were the field trips and workshops that have come to define the Festival. The Whirlwind Warbler Tour into Allegheny National Forest, a lengthened Allegany State Park tour, as well as trips to Woodchuck Hill, Akeley Wetlands and Watt’s Flats provided remarkable opportunities for close encounters with birds. Also new to the Festival was a post-festival trip to Niagara Falls that highlighted geology and botany as well as birds. The weekend weather was again ideal (We continue to believe that Roger may have something to do with this).The total number of species seen on the field trips was 123.

 

The workshops and talks were particularly appealing. At the opening reception, John Rappole injected some cartoon humor into a presentation on the lives of birds after they have raised the young and before they migrate. Michael Smith, whose photograph of “The Mad Bluebird” has assured his fame, showed us the equipment he uses and told of the patience required to obtain iconic photographs like his. Sarah Morris, ornithologist and Audubon lecturer gave tips on how to identify the “brown” birds and Vicky MacDonald exhorted us to look closely at the individual variation in birds that will never be captured in a scientific paper in which the statistics reduce bird behavior to averages. Jeff Gordon talked about the ability of birders to rapidly send and receive reports via electronic media not available in the early days of birding and ornithologist Scott Stoleson reprised his previous festival discussions on the connection of birds to habitat.

 

Friday’s events at the Institute, running parallel with the longer field trips, were devoted to beginning birders. Bird banding and a display of live raptors contributed to the educational possibilities. Following Friday night’s Pizza Party, which included a Bird Quiz produced by Tim Baird, many of us enjoyed clips from the re-mastered Peterson film Wild Africa, along with additional commentary on current conditions in Africa by Jeff Gordon and Bruce Peterson. It was a great Festival, you should have been here! by Michael DeSha

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April 4, 2011 PRESS RELEASE March 30, 2011 Contact: Michael Sullivan 212.779.3177 Msully9999@comcast.net Summer 2011 – The Experience, Jamestown, NY JAMESTOWN, NY – Summer 2011 in Jamestown, NY and the city is gearing up to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors looking for world class events in a small town setting. The home of Lucille Ball, Roger Tory Peterson and Robert H. Jackson, comes alive with Lucy’s 100th birthday celebration and events ranging from an activity-packed birding weekend to an authentic Greek festival. Here is a snapshot of just some of the offerings: The Lucy-Desi Center celebrates the 100th birthday of comedic legend Lucille Ball with a variety of events culminating with a very special 100th Birthday Celebration of Comedy August 3-7 featuring performances by Joan Rivers, Whitney Cummings and more (www.lucy-desi.com). Throughout the summer, The Center offers exhibitions and events at the Lucy-Desi Museum, The Desilu Playhouse and the Tropicana Room. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute hosts The Third Annual Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival, June 9 -12, 2011, will include many new events designed to appeal to novice as well as advanced birders and to those who simply wish to enjoy and learn more about nature with like-minded folk. The Institute honors the life of noted naturalist Roger Tory Peterson, author of Field Guide to the Birds and offers exhibitions, events and learning opportunities throughout the year. (www.rtpi.org) No trip to the Jamestown area is complete without a visit to the internationally acclaimed Robert H. Jackson Center. One of the most noteworthy jurists in United States history, Robert H, Jackson served as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and represented the United States at the London Conference that set up the International Military Tribunal, and served as Chief of Counsel for the United States at the first Nuremberg Trial in 1945 and 1946. The mission of the Robert H. Jackson Center is to advance the legacy of Justice Jackson through education, exhibits, and by pursuing the relevance of his ideas for our present generation. The Center offers tours and educational opportunities. (www.roberthjackson.org) The Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary hosts its annual Art in the Woods on July 16 and 17 and provides over five miles of beautifully maintained trails on a 600-acre wetland preserve. Its 3-story nature center building contains a nature store, a small collection of live fish, reptiles and amphibians, and interactive displays that inform and engage visitors of all ages. In addition, they care for a non-releasable bald eagle named Liberty, who provides many teaching and learning opportunities. (www.jamestownaudubon.org) Visitors with an interest in history won’t want to miss The Fenton History Center. The Center occupies the former home of Reuben E. Fenton who was Governor of New York State from 1865 to 1869. He also served in the US Congress (1853-1864) and US Senate (1869-1875). As one of the founders of the Republican Party, he was a close political associate of Abraham Lincoln. Governor Fenton, who made his fortune in the lumbering business, commissioned local architect Aaron Hall to design and build a mansion in 1863. A typical example of Italian Villa style architecture, the Fenton Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This summer’s special exhibit is “Building Jamestown”. Visitors can find out about Jamestown’s growth from a lumber town to a world re-known furniture and tool manufacturing center. The exhibit is full of images, artifacts and long-forgotten facts about Jamestown’s evolution. In addition the Fenton Mansion provides engaging historical exhibits, and educational opportunities for all ages of visitors. (www.fentonhistorycenter.org). In addition to its major attractions, Jamestown, NY offers entertainment, a wide variety of dining experiences, accommodations from full-service hotels and motels to unique bed and breakfasts. Recreational opportunities abound from fishing, swimming at water sports at Chautauqua Lake to hiking amid spectacular scenery and almost any sporting activity. Jamestown in the home of the Jamestown Jammers (www.jamestownjammers.com) minor league baseball team who play at Russell Diethrick Park. The Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena (www.jsbia.com) is home of The Jamestown Jets junior hockey team and internationally recognized Jamestown Skating Club. It offers a variety of opportunities for skating, concerts and other events throughout the year. The Yassou Festival, a lively authentic Greek festival, June 17-18, 2011, offers home-made Greek foods, traditional dancers and live music. It is just one of the many cultural festivals held throughout the summer. A complete calendar of events for the Jamestown area is available at www.discoverjamestown.com.

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