Thirty-five years ago, in 1984, a group of friends and colleagues of famed artist, naturalist and author Roger Tory Peterson founded the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in his hometown of Jamestown.

In the early days when RTPI was just an idea, Lorimer Moe, Roger’s high school classmate at Jamestown High School, took the lead in enlisting broad support for the idea of an Institute in Roger’s birthplace, to honor his work and house his collections.

In fact, the Institute’s charter was signed in his home, on a dining table that his wife Helen has since donated to RTPI. Over the years RTPI’s mission evolved to encompass the things to which Peterson devoted his life: Art, Education and Conservation.

The Institute headquarters, designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern, was dedicated in 1993 and continues to house Roger’s priceless collections, to display his art, and teach about his life and groundbreaking work to share knowledge of and hope for our natural world. Roger said at the dedication ceremony that it was “the greatest moment in my life.”

Peterson created the Peterson Field Guide Series, and the Peterson Identification System, which with its set of “field marks” and his detailed artwork, allowed the everyday person to study nature and identify the plants and animals found in their own back yards.

That theme is carried on today in RTPI’s wide range of programs, which continue to teach that art and nature are important parts of everyday life, and indeed lead to a happier and healthier life and planet.

During the 35th anniversary open house, guests will see mementos from Peterson’s life and work, the field guides that he created, as well as his travels around the world. On view will be several iconic pieces that have been reframed and restored with state-of-the-art preservation materials, as well as some never-before-seen originals recently acquired by RTPI. This initiative is made possible with funds raised through the Give Big CHQ campaign sponsored by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation in Jamestown.

Refreshments will be served, and visitors are encouraged to sign the Memory Book and share stories and memories about how Peterson and his work and legacy have helped them learn about and enjoy nature. Guests can even “take a selfie with Roger” to share on a special social media page. Commemorative 35th anniversary T-shirts will be available for purchase, featuring a design from Peterson’s book “Wild America,” published in 1955, about his 100-day trip along the edge of the North American continent in April 1953, covering a total of 30,000 miles.

Brief tours of the galleries and exhibits will be available, starting at 1 pm.

Thousands of people have supported the Institute’s work over the last 35 years, and a special “35 Campaign” in 2019 hopes to build on that support for the next generation of people who value the same things that Roger Tory Peterson did.

The campaign states that “If everyone who believes in what Roger Tory Peterson did to change our world makes a financial contribution to support it, we can leave the next generation a great gift – the means and knowledge to change the world themselves, by understanding and protecting the nature all around us.”

For more information about the 35th Anniversary of RTPI or the event itself, please contact Linda Pierce at 665-2473 ext. 226 or lpierce@rtpi.org. RTPI is located at 311 Curtis St., Jamestown.