Center for Conservation & Sustainability

Integrating biodiversity and conservation needs with development priorities
Share this page:

Center for Conservation & Sustainability

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation and Sustainability (CCS) conducts research and monitoring to study, understand, predict and integrate biodiversity conservation needs with development priorities of large infrastructure projects.

SCBI leads projects nationally and internationally in an effort to study biodiversity and make recommendations on conservation and sustainable development. Guided by the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity, SCBI scientists have worked with a select group of oil and gas companies since 1996 to develop best practices in conservation and development to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services that benefit both humans and wildlife.

Conservation News

Aug. 25, 2023
Focus on the Future is a series that seeks to highlight the early career scientists who conduct... read more
Aug. 03, 2022
When a team of scientists couldn't visit a forest to conduct research, they did it remotely, based... read more

About CCS

three researchers collecting water samples

Learn more about what CCS scientists are doing around the world.

Research in Action

The Center for Conservation and Sustainability uses green infrastructure and mitigation hierarchy guidelines to preserve biodiversity around the globe.

Training Courses

students sitting at a table having a discussion

The Center for Conservation and Sustainability develops and teaches courses for development professionals, business leaders, government officials and field researchers.

Conservation & Development

CCS works in regions of high biodiversity to promote knowledge and develop best practices for the integration of conservation and development. The Center has worked on programs around the world, with ongoing research in Canada, Peru and Gabon.