Roger Tory Peterson Institute

Art - Across the US, attention to natural history has been declining for decades, and much of what we know and how it has changed is based on collections like the RTPI Archives. Our main facility is a significant distance from major population centers, which impedes broad access to our collections and programming.

Education - Environmental education is insufficient within most schools and virtually nonexistent outside of them; environmental illiteracy threatens the well being of everyone. Consequently, the value of natural resources and natural areas to local economies is overlooked, environmental advocates are few, and financial support is inadequate.

Conservation - In the absence of broad public understanding of natural history, conservation projects have become the domain of a small number of underfunded stakeholders. With scarce resources available, natural history research is often reactive and crisis driven, with few follow up studies to assess long-term effectiveness.

Art - Expand the reach of exhibits and public programming using digital technology and traveling exhibits. Create partnerships with other museums, and use social media and online learning tools to share Roger Tory Peterson's extensive and diverse collections.

Education - Promote the natural world as a community asset and demonstrates relationships between the health of a region's ecosystems and the health of its population and economy. Programs like Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors as well as streaming tropical research activities directly into classrooms are designed to be replicated and implemented elsewhere, to reach a steadily growing audience.

Conservation - Inspire people to choose action over inaction. RTPI is focused on providing practical solutions to existing environmental needs, create an environmentally aware and engaged region, and increase awareness and understanding between species, habitats and people - through actions that transcend political boundaries.

Art - RTPI has created collaborations with other museum professionals to use collections management software to process archive items. Professional museum staff create exhibits and programming for both onsite and offsite participation.

Education - RTPI has formal and informal education staff to teach at the elementary, high school, and college levels, as well as adult and children's programming outside of the traditional classroom setting - in libraries, nature centers and in our museum.

Conservation - RTPI has professional conservation research staff as well as contracted conservation staff to perform fee for service projects and conservation outreach around the US, and conduct tropical research classes in Costa Rica and Panama several times per year.

Art - RTPI has secured collections management software, trained staff and begun to document items from the Roger Tory Peterson Archives. The first traveling exhibit has been launched, and a Roger Tory Peterson Permanent Exhibit created.

Education - After a number of years where programming in public schools was unattainable, RTPI will now be part of a year round education initiative, which includes outdoor nature study. RTPI is also developing, in collaboration with public school administration and faculty, a classroom nature study curriculum available to all public schools within the New York BOCES system.

Conservation - RTPI expanded Peterson Wild America Youth Ambassadors from a summer initiative for high school and college students, to a year round project. RTPI continues to successfully monitor CT shorebird habitat, successfully conducted remediation work on the Chadakoin River and is part of a coalition to deal with invasive plants and algal blooms in the Chautauqua watershed.