At the age of 11, Roger Tory Peterson had an unexpectedly close encounter with a northern flicker. From that day, he started drawing birds and never stopped. As we know, Roger combined his passion for birds and art to create his famous field guide, which sparked a worldwide awakening to the beauty and wonder of birds. At RTPI, our job to provide everyone -- including every young person -- the opportunity to have their own life-changing "spark" experience at the intersection of art and nature.

We welcome schools and youth groups to visit RTPI. Generally, field trips consist of a guided discovery walk through the Peterson Preserve and/or through the current exhibitions inside the museum. Afterward, students gather in Roger's Art Studio to create art in response to what they discovered in nature or in our galleries.

Field trips last 90 minutes, and the number of youths served per field trip will range from between 10 and 25.

The discounted cost is $5 per student. (No charge for teachers and chaperones.)

We request that schools and youth groups provide one chaperone for every 10-12 youths.

Requests for specialized field trips or to accommodate larger groups may be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

RTPI field trips are led by Mary Karapontso Dwyer. Mary holds a BA in Fine Arts and has received Professional Certification in Art Education. She has an accomplished career in graphic design, with nearly a decade of experience in art education.

To schedule your field trip, please contact Claire Johnson at 716-665-2473, extension 236, or cjohnson@rtpi.org.