Podcast appearances and mentions of Roger Tory Peterson

Roger Tory Peterson, the best known American figure of 20th Century birdwatching, offered help on birding by ear. Whenever he could, he provided a catchphrase to identify a bird's song. "Witchety-witchety-witchety" captures the song of this Common Yellowthroat. The California Quail seems to say, "Chicago, Chicago, Chicago." Go on a field trip with your local Audubon, and discover more bird songs. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. 

rWotD Episode 2682: The Pocket Guide to British Birds Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 6 September 2024 is The Pocket Guide to British Birds.The Pocket Guide to British Birds is a guide written by British naturalist and expert on wild flowers Richard Sidney Richmond Fitter, and illustrated by Richard Richardson, which was first published by Collins in 1952. Reprinted in 1953 and 1954, a second more revised 287-page editions was published by Collins in 1966, and in 1968.This guidebook is organized differently from most, by habitat (land or water) and size, instead of by genus and species as in the Roger Tory Peterson and other guides. It also provides Fitter's unique "key" system for identifying unfamiliar birds, first by plumage (color), then "structural features" (shape), behavior and finally habitat (cf. the order of the species described.) Despite Fitter's helpful advice how to identify a bird, the unfamiliar organization of his book limited its initial appeal; but this was more than compensated by the number and quality of Richardson's drawings, of which bird artist Peter Scott wrote in his foreword: "nothing of the kind has been so well done in Britain before ... a new bird painter of great skill."This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:56 UTC on Friday, 6 September 2024.For the full current version of the article, see The Pocket Guide to British Birds on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Salli.

Episode: 2505 Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher's Wild America.  Today, a legendary road trip.

Episode 46 welcomes Kent and Veerle Ullberg.  Over the past 46 years, this couple has built a life, a business, and a legacy with realistic wildlife sculptures, all serving to spread the beauty of nature and engage onlookers to recognize a need for the preservation of our natural environment. Kent makes the sculptures and Veerle runs the business. They have operated in exactly this way for nearly half a century!  For more on Kent's work as a sculptor and naturalist, view his bio below. Also note the headline quote by the late Roger Tory Peterson who, himself was an author, artist, and educator, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his extraordinary work in the field of ornithology.  "No one during the latter half of this century has celebrated the animal form with greater enthusiasm and virtuosity. Very simply, Kent's public monuments have come close to symbolize an age of environmental awareness that is a stepping stone to the next millennium." –––––– Roger Tory Peterson A native of Sweden, Kent Ullberg is recognized as one of the world's foremost wildlife sculptors. He studied at the Swedish University College of Art in Stockholm and worked at museums in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Africa and Denver, CO. After living in Botswana, Africa, for seven years he has made his home permanently in the United States where he now lives on Padre Island, Corpus Christi, TX. He also maintains a studio in Loveland, CO. Ullberg is a member of numerous art organizations and has been honored with many prestigious awards. In 1990 his peers elected him a Full Academician (NA), thus making him the first wildlife artist since John James Audubon to receive one of the greatest tributes in American art. A selection of his memberships include the National Sculpture Society; the American Society of Marine Art; the Allied Artists of America; Nature in Art, Sandhurst, UK; the National Academy of Western Art in Oklahoma City, OK which awarded him the Prix de West, the foremost recognition in Western Art. In 2010 he received the Briscoe Legacy Award and in 2016 the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Animal Artists. Best known for his monumental works executed for museums and municipalities across the globe, his Fort Lauderdale, FL, and his Omaha, NE installations are the largest bronze wildlife compositions ever done, spanning several city blocks. Both earned him the coveted Henry Hering Medal Award from the National Sculpture Society, NYC. His most recent monumental installation is "Snow-Mastodon," a life-size bronze Mastodon placed outside the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Kent's work is nothing short of "larger than life". His Spirit of Nebraska in Omaha, NE for instance, consists of 67 bronze and stainless steel works.  This site occupies the Bank properties on all four corners of the 16th and Dodge intersection as well as works on 15th Street. This wildlife monument includes 3 bulls standing at 8' and weighing nearly 1,400 pounds, several yearling bulls, and 2 cows with their calves, as well as a large water feature with 8' Canada Geese in bronze taking flight. As the geese fly across the street they are attached to 18' bronze trees, a traffic signal, the corner of a building, a light post, 2 other poles, and culminate with several stainless steel geese suspended within the glass atrium of the Bank's headquarters. Each of these works has been strategically placed to engage visitors, particularly children, as they pass. To say that Kent and Veerle have built a "successful" life in the world of art and creativity would be a complete understatement. While their days as Creative Moonlighters passed back in the 1970's, hearing their story is awe-inspiring for any creative who is currently looking for a way to make the transition from moonlighting to daylighting.  Enjoy and as always, send questions and comments to Griffyn.co@gmail.com  Visit www.kentullberg.net #kentullberg #sculptureandartist #becominganartist #spiritofnebraska #orinthology #naturalist #nature #realismart #wildlifeart #wildlifescuptures #environment #preservation #conservation #corpuschristi #padreisland #corpuschristimonument  #creativemoonlighting #griffynco #griffyncoproductions

Going to Hawk Cliff to go watch migrating Raptors is becoming a bit of a pilgrimage for me. It's only the second time I've gone there, but the quality of the experience is profound. To get to see these Birds whom, when you see individually during your everyday, it is always a highlight of the day. But to go see hundreds of these amazing predatory birds is just astounding. What a gift. Hawk Cliff is a chance to be social, a chance to learn, a chance to share and be in awe and wonder at some of the most beautiful birds on the continent. This episode is recording a trip down to Hawk Cliff with some dear friends, including Matt, Britta, Adrian, and Danielle. The structure is similar to old audiozines I used to make, describing in situ as well as voice overs to tell the story a little better and to give context to the audio. List of books mentioned: Hawks and Owls of the Great Lakes Region, Chris Earley. Firefly. The Life History of North American Birds of Prey, Arthur Cleveland Bent. Dover. Hawks at a Distance, Jerry Liguori. Princeton University Press. Birds of Ontario, Andy Bezener. Lone Pine. Peterson Field Guide to Birds, Roger Tory Peterson. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Field Guide to the Migrating Raptors of Hawk Cliff. Hawk Cliff Foundation. The Crossley ID guide to Eastern Birds, Richard Crossley. Princeton University Press. Useful references and links: Hawk Cliff website https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynandromorph

Visit the Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s website to find out more about the site, events/exhibitions, and the good work they are doing.Steve and Arthur discussed the hellbender head-start program, and the question came up about whether it was connected with the Buffalo Zoo. Here’s what we found:“The “hellbender head-start program” is a collaboration between the Bronx Zoo, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Buffalo Zoo. The snot otters were hatched at the Buffalo Zoo in October 2009 and raised at the Bronx Zoo’s Amphibian Propagation Center.” You can find more info here.Arthur mentioned the recent renaming of a bird. He was referring to the McCown’s Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii). It’s common name was recently changed to the Thick-billed Longspur.

Welcome to part 2 of our field trip to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. In this segment, Bill and Steve take a hike with Twan Leenders, Senior Director of Science & Conservation at the Institute. Twan has had a career in conservation that deserves to be made into a movie. From researching wildlife in the treetops of Central American rainforests to corralling ornery spiny softshell turtles in post-industrial rivers, Twan’s stories, as well as his personal philosophy on science communication, make for a fascinating listen. Enjoy!

August 28th is the birth anniversary of Roger Tory Peterson. He was born in 1908 and died in 1996. RTP, as he was known, wrote A Field Guide to the Birds. His favorite bird? The King Penguin. He explains his fascination with birds: "...They are attractive, they sound off with spirit, and they can

Today we celebrate the botanist and writer who published the first book about salad. We'll also learn about the horticulturist whose life was cut short on this day when the steamship he was on caught on fire and sank. We celebrate the man who helped generations of people fall in love with ornithology. We also hear some garden poetry that features women. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about creating a Pollinator Victory Garden by having a garden that is healthy, diverse, and chemical-free. And then we'll wrap things up with a glimpse into a Maine garden on this day in 2011. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news.   Subscribe Apple  | Google  | Spotify  | Stitcher | iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News Thriving With Nature | Mental Health Foundation “There are lots of ways in which spending time in nature can be positive for our mental health and wellbeing. New and exciting research is happening all the time that adds to our understanding of how our natural environment affects the health of our bodies and minds. The reasons why time in nature has this effect on us are complex and still being understood. The benefits are often related to how our senses connect us to the environment around us, from the shapes in nature we see to the scents that trees give off and the soft fascination that nature can stimulate which helps our minds rest.”   Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1662   Today the English Gardner and writer John Evelyn recorded in his diary that he met with the dowager Queen Henrietta Maria. John kept a detailed diary for 66 years, and he had a devoted passion for gardening. As a result, his diary has been a treasure for garden historians over the years. And, here's a little known fact about John Evelyn: he was the first garden author to publish a book about salads (or sallets as they were spelled at the time). Check out the benefits of eating salad as described by John: "By reason of its soporiferous quality, lettuce ... still continues [to be] the principal foundation of … Sallets, which ... cool and refresh, [and have] beneficial influences on morals, temperance, and chastity." (FYI: Soporiferous means Inducing or tending to induce sleep. Here John is referring to the fact that some lettuce secretes lactucarium - a milky fluid found in the base of the lettuce stems. It is known as lettuce opium because of its sedative and pain-relieving properties. It has also been reported to promote a mild sensation of euphoria.) It was John Evelyn who wrote: "The gardener’s work is never at an end, it begins with the year and continues to the next. He prepares the ground, and then he plants, and then he gathers the fruits." "Gardening is a labor full of tranquility and satisfaction; natural and instructive, and as such contributes to the most serious contemplation, experience, health, and longevity."   And, keep in mind John's appreciation for the amount of work a garden requires as I tell you this little story about him. In 1698, John Evelyn had owned his estate for 40 years. Everyone who knew it said it was magnificent - both inside and out. It was decorated to the nines. Of all that he owned, John's garden was his pride and joy. That year, the Russian Czar, Peter the Great, brought an entourage of 200 people to England to visit William III. In a gesture of hospitality, William volunteered John Evelyn's home to host the Czar and his people during their visit. John and his wife graciously moved out to give the Czar his privacy. Well, it wasn't long before John's servants began sending him urgent messages begging him to return. When John came home, he walked into a nightmare. The whole estate had been trashed. Priceless paintings had served as dartboards. His floors were ruined, windows were smashed; even the garden was destroyed. The servants told how the 6'8 Czar had played a game with his friends, where they put him in one of John's wheelbarrows and then raced him through the garden beds, crashing into walls, trees, and hedges. It was a complete disregard for the sanctity of John's garden. For twenty years, John had nursed along a hedge of holly that had turned into a glorious living wall. It was ruined. The party even managed to knock down part of the stone wall that surrounded the garden. It must have been a scene akin to the movie Animal House. John immediately sent word to the king about what had happened, and arrangements were made straight away to move the Czar to other lodgings. King William settled with John to have his property restored - his home needed to be gutted and rebuilt from the floors up. John Evelyn was 78 years old when this happened to him. I'm sure there was no amount of restitution that could restore the years of love he had spent in his garden. He lived for another eight years before dying in 1706.   1815   Today is the anniversary of the tragic death of the horticulturist and writer Andrew Jackson Downing. Andrew was the author of The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, which came out in 1845. He also served as the editor of a magazine called The Horticulturist. Regarded as one of the founders of American Landscape Architecture, Andrew used his work in The Horticulturist magazine as a platform for advancing his pet causes. It was Andrew who first came up with the idea for a New York park. In fact, Andrew's dream became the park we know today: Central Park. Andrew also advocated for individual states to create schools devoted to agriculture - and that hope became a reality as well. In 1846, the National Mall in Washington, DC, was run down and neglected.  It fell to Andrew to devise plans to revive the space. When the Frenchman Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed the mall in 1791, he envisioned a grand avenue. In sharp contrast, Andrew's vision simple. Not a fan of formal European gardens, Andrew wanted to create what he called a public museum of living trees and shrubs. Instead of a grand avenue, Andrew designed four separate parks that were connected by curving walkways and featured many different trees. Sadly, Andrew's plans were never fully funded or carried out. In the summer of 1852, Andrew boarded a steamship called The Henry Clay. At some point, the steamship got into a race with another boat called The Armenia. When The Henry Clay began to overheat, a fire broke out in the engine room. Coincidentally, a former girlfriend of Andrew's also happened to be on board The Henry Clay that fateful day. As passengers escaped the flames to jump into the water, some began to drown. When Andrew jumped in the water to save his old flame, her panic caused them both to drown. Now, before Andrew attempted to save his old paramour, he was one of the men who quickly threw some deck chairs off the boat. The thinking was that the chairs could be used as flotation devices. As fate would have it, Andrew's wife Carolyn survived the disaster by holding on to a deck chair. When the ordeal was all over, many friends tried to comfort Carolyn by insinuating that she was likely saved by one of the chairs Andrew had thrown into the water.  But this sentiment was small consolation to her, given that she lost her husband as he was busy trying to save an old love. Andrew Jackson Downing was just 36 years old when he died on this day two hundred and five years ago.   1996  Today is the anniversary of the death of Roger Tory Peterson of Peterson's Field Guide to Birds fame - he was born in 1908. A son of Jamestown, New York, Roger, helped new generations of people fall in love with ornithology. Roger not only wrote the guides, but he also illustrated them. He was the noted American naturalist who brought the natural world to the masses in the 20th century. Roger admired the gumption of the common starling. He felt blue jays had "a lot of class," and he said the house sparrow was "an interesting darn bird." Roger once famously described a purple finch as a "Sparrow dipped in raspberry juice (male)." When it came to the Audobon Oriole, Roger quipped that its song was like "a boy learning to whistle." What was Roger Tory Peterson's favorite bird? The King Penguin. Here are some famous Peterson quotes: "Few men have souls so dead that they will not bother to look up when they hear the barking of wild Geese." "Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy." "Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we'll soon be in trouble." And finally, the book, The World of Roger Tory Petersonis worth a read if you can get hold of a copy.   Unearthed Words Today's words feature Women and the Garden. In January, for example, the housewife should be busy planting peas and beans and setting young rose roots. During March and April she will work 'from morning to night, sowing and setting her garden or plot,' to produce the crops of parsnip, beans, and melons which will 'winnest the heart of a laboring man for her later in the year. Her strawberry plants will be obtained from the best roots which she has gathered from the woods, and these are to be set in a plot in the garden. Berries from these plants will be harvested later the same year, perhaps a useful back-up if the parsnips have failed to win the man of her dreams. July will see the good wife 'cut off ...ripe bean with a knife as well as harvesting the hemp and flax, which it will be her responsibility to spin later in the year. — Thomas Tusser, English poet and farmer, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandry, 1573   You are a tulip seen today, But (dearest) of so short a stay That where you grew, scarce man can say. You are a lovely July-flower, Yet one rude wind, or milling shower. Will force you hence, and in an hour. You are a sparkling rose in the bud. Yet lost ere that chaste flesh and blood Can show where you grew or stood. You are a full-spread fair-set vine. And can with tendrils love entwine. Yet dried, ere you distill your wine. You are like balm enclosed well In amber, or some crystal shell, Yet lost ere you transfuse your smell. You are a dainty violet. Yet withered ere you can be set  Within the virgin's coronet. You are the queen all flowers among.  But die you must, fair maid, ere long.  As he, the maker of this song. — Robert Herrick, English poet and cleric, A Meditation for His Mistress   Grow That Garden Library The Pollinator Victory Garden by Kim Eierman This book came out in January of 2020, and the subtitle is Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening; Attract and Support Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, Bats, and Other Pollinators. Peter Nelson, Director of The Pollinators film, said of this book, "The Pollinator Victory Garden is a book for these times.  Kim Eierman empowers readers with ideas, direction, and the inspiration they need to create beautiful and eco-friendly habitats for many different pollinators.  Creating healthy, diverse, and chemical-free habitats are essential steps in solving pollinator decline, and The Pollinator Victory Garden guides you towards creating your own lovely garden habitat." Kim Eierman is an environmental horticulturist and landscape designer specializing in ecological landscapes and native plants. She is the Founder of EcoBeneficial, a horticulture consulting and communications company in Westchester County, New York. Kim also teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Native Plant Center, Rutgers Home Gardeners School, and advanced education classes for Master Gardeners. This book is 160 pages of ideas and information to support pollinators and help the environment. You can get a copy of The Pollinator Victory Garden by Kim Eierman and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $16.   Today's Botanic Spark 2011   In the popular gardener book The Roots of My Obsession, the former executive director of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Bill Cullina wrote: “Yesterday it happened.  With everything finally planted, the weeds temporarily at bay, and the garden refreshed by rains after a long dry stretch, I reached that brief apogee in the arc of the season where I could sit on the bench and just appreciate.  It is that magic time of year between the rising cacophony of spring and the slow murmuring descent of autumn when there is stillness in my soul.  Right now, nothing needs doing.  It has been the most frenzied spring yet at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, where I work — a season stretching well into summer. We planted just over twenty-nine thousand plants and created four acres of new gardens. I have laid out so many plants this year that I started seeing them in my sleep — one pot after another plunked atop the freshly turned earth in endless triangles stretching off to infinity.” In 2019, Bill Cullina was named the F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum. He started his new job a year ago on July 8, succeeding Paul W. Meyer, who served the Arboretum for 43 years, 28 years as executive director.  

Episode: 2505 Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher's Wild America.  Today, a legendary road trip.

In recent years it has seemed as though doing an ABA Area Big Year means that you have to write a book about it, but the form's roots can be traced to Roger Tory Peterson himself. What makes them so popular? Are they travelogue, sporting conquest, adventure, or some combination? Or is the appeal as simple as wish fulfillment? 10,000 Birds media reviewer Donna Schulman and Birding magazine media review editor Frank Izaguirre join host Nate Swick to talk about Big Year narratives and what makes them great in the first edition of the ABP Birding Book Club.  Also, the USFWS disappoints with new rules for the Duck Stamp.  ABA members are eligible for a 15% discount to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World subscription. Log into your ABA account to get the code.

Author and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams on W.S. Merwin’s poem The Last One, leaving Mormonism and writing from pain. To learn more about the books we discussed in this episode, check out Michael DiGiorgio and Roger Tory Peterson’s Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Marie Louise Von Franz’s Creation Myths and Gladys Reichard’s Navajo Religion. To hear the latest at Macmillan, be sure to check out our newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past week, I started looking for perennials I want to divide. After the hail storm and siding installation we had earlier this month, I don't feel too bad about digging up the plants. The garden looks tough. Might as well dig up old plants. I always start with my hostas - in part, because they recover so quickly. Next spring, you'll never know that they were transplanted this fall. In addition, they, like the ferns, get used make great ground covers. Got a chronic creeping charlie, creeping buttercup, or creeping anything... plant a hosta. It can handle the creepers and even if they manage to survive under the dense canopy, they aren't as vigorous and you won't see them anyway.   Brevities #OTD  On this day in 1773, French explorer and botanist Aimé Bonpland was born. Bonpland had traveled with Alexander von Humboldt in Latin America for five years - from 1799-1804, collecting & classifying 6,000 new plants. He co-authored many books about his discoveries. One of his journal entries says this: "We just arrived at a town where the locals invited us to eat a dish called enchiladas. When I tried it, my tongue burned and I started to sweat. I was told that this feeling is due to a fruit called "chili." I have to analyze it ..." And here's a little trivia about Bonpland: When Napolean's wife Josephine died, Bonpland was present at her deathbed.     #OTD  Today in 1798, the first American vineyard was planted 25 miles from Lexington, Kentucky. It was started by a Swiss immigrant named John James Dufour. He established the first successful commercial vineyard and winery in America. He called it “The First Vineyard.” Dufour had read newspaper accounts of the American Revolution as a young boy in Switzerland. What struck him most was something the French fighters had said.  They were fighting alongside the colonists and they bemoaned the fact that they didn't have any wine to drink in America. It left an impression on DuFour. His grandfather and father were both vine dressers in Switzerland. Dufour wanted to bring their winemaking skills to America. In 1796, Dufour arrived in America. Initially, he made a point of visiting Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and other estates. DuFour noticed they were working with the wild grapes, which Dufour felt were inferior. After one year of success with "The First Vineyard", Dufour wrote to his father, brothers and sisters in Switzerland and invited them all to join him. Seventeen members of his family made the voyage.  After his family arrived, Dufour petitioned congress for the privilege of getting land in Indiana. The area had a steep valley that reminded the family of Switzerland. Congress granted a special approval for Dufour. By 1806, the first wine was made from the vineyard in Indiana, known as "The Second Vineyard" and the area became known as New Switzerland.     #OTD   Today is the birthday of the man known as the King of Colorado Botany, Charles Christopher Parry, who was born on this day in 1823. Parry discovered both the Torrey pine and Engelmann spruce which gives you a clue about his impressive mentors. Although he rubbed shoulders with the best botanists of his time, Parry's focus was not academic. He was more interested in making sure the public and the common man benefitted from his work. In 1845 while he was at college, Parry's teacher was the great John Torrey. Parry was good friends with Asa Gray - who was also a student of John Torrey. In 1848, Parry learned about the botanical trade from the star of the Missouri Botanical Garden: George Engelmann. In the summer of 1862 he brought Elihu Hall and J. P. Harbour on an expedition to Colorado. The men gathered ten sets of over 700 species. According to William Weber, their effort remains "the largest [collection ever] made in Colorado in a single season".  Parry spent 20 summers in Colorado - in a cabin nestled between Torrey Peak and Gray Peak - mountains he named after John Torrey and Asa Gray. Parry named another mountain Eva Peak in honor of his wife. He even named one Mount Flora. In 1870, during a visit to England, Parry met the master botanist of his age: Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In fact, it was Hooker who referred to Parry as the "King of Colorado Botany".  And it wasn't just Colorado that Parry explored.  He traveled throughout the West, amassing over 30,000 specimens for his herbarium. When Parry was collecting in California, he continued his habit of recording his thoughts into notebooks. Occasionally, he waxed poetic about the landscape. In one example from his time in California, he wrote: “A newborn moon hangs her crescent over the western hills and by its full-orbed light we hope to see our way to winter quarters on the Pacific.”     #OTD  Today is the birthday of Roger Tory Peterson of Peterson's Field Guide to Birds fame - he was born in 1908. Peterson not only wrote the guides, he also illustrated them. Peterson was the noted American naturalist who brought the natural world to the masses in the 20th century. A son of Jamestown, New York, Peterson helped new generations of people fall in love with ornithology. Peterson admired the gumption of the common starling. He felt blue jays had "a lot of class" and he said the house sparrow was "an interesting darn bird." Peterson once famously described a purple finch as a "Sparrow dipped in raspberry juice (male)." When it came to the Audobon Oriole, Peterson quipped that its song was like "a boy learning to whistle." What was Roger Tory Peterson’s favorite bird? The King Penguin.    Here are some famous Peterson quotes: "Few men have souls so dead that they will not bother to look up when they hear the barking of wild Geese."   "Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy."   "Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we'll soon be in trouble."     And finally, the book, The World of Roger Tory Peterson worth a read if you can get hold of a copy.       Unearthed Words Buttercup nodded, and said good-by; Clover and daisy went off together; But the fragrant water-lilies lie Yet moored in the golden August weather." Celia Thaxter ~ August   The poet Celia Laighton Thaxter (1835-1894) grew up on an island.   Her father built a hotel on Appledore Island and it became a hub for artists, creatives, and writers of New England during the late 19th century. With the natural beauty of the island and Celia's lovely garden, it's no wonder that Appledore became a muse for many.   Today, Celia's garden is as enchanting as it was over 100 years ago. Celia grew cut flowers for her father's hotel. She also wrote a best-selling book called An Island Garden.       Today's book recommendation: Midwest Foraging by Lisa M. Rose   If you're a beginner forager, and most of us fall in to that category, this beautifully formatted guide will be your go to resource - even advanced foragers find it helpful. Lisa's plant profiles include color photos, tips for identification, and excellent ideas for both eating and preserving your treasures. Lisa's friendly and matter-of-fact approach shines through in this work; she takes the fear out of foraging! Today's Garden Chore August is the perfect time to sow winter salads for the greenhouse or cold frame. Thought it's tempting to say, "Let us wait," wise gardeners know that WSR's(Winter Salad Requirements) are more fully satisfied when effort is made in August.   Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day in 2002, that Spaniards threw 120 tons of tomatoes at each other at the annual Tomatina festival in Bunol, Spain. Every year, on the last Wednesday of August, the town of Buñol, in #Spain, celebrates the biggest tomato fight in the world and Spain's messiest festival: ¡¡¡¡LA TOMATINA!!!! It has been a tradition since 1945, when some kids had a tomato fight in the town square.   Now, every year, trucks bring in tons of tomatoes grown especially for the event. In the town square, a Spanish ham is attached to the top of a greased pole. Most years, climbers are not able to reach the ham - but occasionally one climber makes this remarkable accomplishment. Then, visitors and residents alike begin the tomato fight and revel in the red sauce.   The tomato-throwing spree attracts upwards of 50,000 visitors to Buñol every single year.     Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Download Episode!  Editor's Note: There were some great challenges with audio quality on this episode...apologies in advance! Show Notes Episode: 05 Jim & Judy Mohr In this second episode I spoke with Jim ‘Father Nature’ about the natural environment at camp and what makes it special. Jim details the diverse and unique ecosystems found at camp, some of them that are rare globally. Examples of varied ecosystem on nearly 1400 acres. Boasting 17 different types of soil lead to such a diverse environment. From fens, sedge meadow, rich Tamarack forest (almost gone) wet meadow to Black Oak barrens to Savannah.   South Fen is Jim’s favorite place at camp since it is such a unique blend of plants and every time he visits he seems something new. And this is after viewing it for 57 years!  What is a Fen?    The benefits of prescribed burns are discussed as well as clearing buckthorn swamp giving way to new growth after the invasive species were addressed.   Jim outlines unique flora and fauna, in and around Lake Stony…Including jellyfish…Yes, jellyfish! 7 out of the state’s nine species of turtles. Stony also boasts 15-20 species of fish.   The three areas of Stony: Big, Little & Petite. Formed from glacial waters. Reportedly it boasts some of the cleanest lake water in Michigan. Camp has been noted to have what scientists call ‘extensive undisturbed wetlands’. Jim discusses how to preserve this resource.   The once rare Sandhill Cranes  Here's more information about these fowl from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.   Jim details the rich history of naturalists at Camp. When Rodney Ferrar left the position, Jim stepped in around ’64 –‘93   Jim shares the history of the famous naturalist and ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson’s time at Storer (please see RTP Combined files from Doc Miller and the first naturalist offering Roger Tory Peterson a position at camp.  These feature phenominal historical documents from the archives!   The history of Cubbage Trail and how this was originally on Jim’s dad’s property (came to camp through Hyatt Purchase in the 1930s)   [caption id="attachment_6337" align="aligncenter" width="280"] Jim drives the bus for a Long-termer Trip![/caption]   [caption id="attachment_6376" align="aligncenter" width="437"] Jim takes well deserved break from said Long-Termers![/caption]    

Debi Love Shearwater, pelagic bird tour leader of Shearwater Journeys inc. and inspiration for a character in the movie The Big Year, was the latest guest on BirdCallsRadio. Debi discusses pelagic birding off the coasts of all 7 continents, with a particular focus on northern California _ where she is based _ and Antarctica. She also talks about The Big Year and what that has meant for birding. Early in the show, Joe Warren talks about southward migration and what to do to attract the migrants to your yard. Host Chris Bosak reads from an old book whereby Roger Tory Peterson wrote the first chapter. Chris and co-host Mardi Dickinson also discuss what birds have been seen in the area recently and their experience with pelagic trips.

Father of the Field Guide

Scorpius and Antares, Ragweed, and American Goldfinch. An interview with Jim Berry of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute about Roger Tory Peterson and the origins of the Peterson field guides series.

Who was Roger Tory Peterson and how did he manage, at the age of 25, to revolutionize birdwatching?

Roger Tory Peterson referred to the American Robin as the one bird that everybody knows, but there's more to this species than its trademark orange breast.

Roger Tory Peterson had great impact as a writer, artist, educator, and conservationist, becoming a true celebrity and being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Lisa White from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reads an excerpt from All Things Reconsidered, by Roger Tory Peterson and edited by Bill Thompson, III.

Lisa White from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reads an excerpt from All Things Reconsidered, by Roger Tory Peterson and edited by Bill Thompson, III.

Birding all-star Kenn Kaufman talks about his life with birds, his early days as a bird watcher, his latest field guides, the great Roger Tory Peterson, and the future of birding.

Birding all-star Kenn Kaufman talks about his life with birds, his early days as a bird watcher, his latest field guides, the great Roger Tory Peterson, and the future of birding.

Author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul reads an excerpt from his book, “Return to Wild America.”

Bill Thompson, III, interviews Scott Weidensaul.