Conservation & Development

Canadian mountains

CCS works in regions of high biodiversity to promote biodiversity 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.

Projects

the entrance to ITAIPU Binational, Peru

Atlantic Forest Conservation in Paraguay
Scientists works with partners in Paraguay to develop best practices for managing protected areas and wildlife. Their research helps support the conservation of species, including jaguars, bush dogs, lowland tapirs and maned wolves.
monkey in a tree

Biodiversity in the Peruvian Amazon
Through camera trap studies, community conservation programs and collaboration, Smithsonian scientists are working to minimize the impact that natural gas development has on tropical forests and wildlife.
canopy of the rainforest with clouds above

Conserving Amazonian Tropical Ecosystems
In the Peruvian Amazon of Madre de Dios, natural ecosystems provide essential services to local communities. Smithsonian scientists are partnering with stakeholders to  evaluate the region's biodiversity and devise scenarios for future sustainable development.
Canadian mountains

Conserving and Restoring Temperate Ecosystems
landscape photograph of Andean mountains and valley

From the Andes to the Pacific
Scientists are monitoring habitat and species, including the Andean cat, pencil catfish and Peruvian long-snouted bat, to help integrate biodiversity conservation into the construction and operation of a gas pipeline that stretches from the eastern Andes to the Pacific coast of Peru.
A group of researchers in the Peruvian Amazon set up a camera trap attached to a tree to capture images of animals that pass by

Monitoring Potential Impacts of Human Activity on Biodiversity in Peru
Researchers are monitoring the impacts of human activities on biodiversity in the tropical forests of northern Peru.
elephant walking along a fence

Working with Industry to Conserve African Forests
Southwestern Gabon’s protected Gamba Complex is home to gorillas, forest elephants and sea turtles; it also contains the country’s largest oil development. Smithsonian scientists and partners are working to protect the region’s forests and biodiversity.

Continue Exploring

A whiteboard from a scenario planning workshop with x-and-y graphs with axes representing "political will" and "population size" and colorful dots added to sections

Case Study: Scenario Planning in Northwestern Virginia

Virginia Working Landscape

Case Study: Land Use Modeling in Northwestern Virginia
A researcher stands among tall trees in a sunlit forest in Virginia.

Changing Landscapes Initiative
Smithsonian scientists work alongside community members in Northwestern Virginia to evaluate the impacts of land-use change on wildlife, ecosystem services and community health.
Corals

Coral Biobank Alliance
Smithsonian scientists are part of the Coral Biobank Alliance, a global network of coral experts preserving corals for restoration and research.
coral reef

Coral Cryopreservation Training Course
An underwater photo of a coral reef with a large coral in the foreground surrounded by smaller corals and fish swimming in the distance

Coral Species Cryopreserved with Global Collaborators​
View a list of the coral species that have been cryopreserved using a technique developed by Smithsonian scientists.
Herd of wildebeest grazing on an open grassy plain with one tree

Wildebeest Conservation
Conservation Ecology Center scientists are tracking the movements of white-bearded wildebeest to understand how changes across the landscape impact the species.
A small bird called a piping plover stands on a sandy shore

Protecting Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes
In 2022, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center will begin a new research project to help protect endangered piping plovers from predation by merlins.
A swift fox wearing a tracking collar is released at Ft. Belknap

Swift Fox Recovery
Smithsonian scientists, in collaboration with the Fort Belknap Fish and Wildlife Department, are embarking on a five-year swift fox reintroduction project to restore swift foxes to tribal lands and to help reestablish connectivity between disjointed swift fox populations.
A large leafy tree growing adjacent to a body of water, with cattle grazing in the grass underneath its canopy

Conserving the World’s Largest Working Wetland
Conservation Ecology Center researchers are collaborating with institutions in Brazil and other Smithsonian colleagues to support sustainable cattle ranching in the Pantanal wetland.