If you have a thirst for knowledge of the outdoors, nature, wildlife, the flora, fauna or particularly of birds, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is the place. Not only does it store a wealth of information, it’s one of the most drop dead gorgeous of structures both in design as well as in décor. Named after world famed ornithologist, author and naturalist, Roger Tory Peterson, a native of Jamestown, New York, it is this institute that personifies his life’s work in which he not only won every major award in his field but also furthered it with such striking innovations as the Peterson Identification System, known for its clarity with specific delineations of bird markings. In my mind, Roger Tory Peterson was the greatest, most gifted ornithologist and naturalist ever and, just one heck of a nice guy; a perfect gentlemen in the most classical sense of the term who I was fortunate enough to have personally known and spoken with on numerous occasions as we both resided not that far from each other and shared similar heritages as well as interests. The displays and art work layouts of this institute couldn’t have been better done, many of which are in fact breath taking and others mentally impacting such as a display of the once thriving passenger pigeon that were so numerous in numbers their flights blackened the skies but now, as a result of what was actually commercial hunting and conservational ignorance, now totally extinct. So, if you have any naturalist or ornithological interests, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute is a must.
