Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution located on a 3,200-acre (13 km²) campus located just outside the town of Front Royal, Virginia. An extension of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the SCBI has played a leading role in the fields of veterinary medicine, reproductive physiology and conservation biology since its founding in 1974.^[1]

Previously named the Conservation and Research Center, the CRC became known as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2010^[1] as a symbol of its growing independence from the captive animals associated with the traditional images of zoos.^{[citation needed]}

History

The land on which the SCBI lies has a history dating back to 1909, when the

In 1948

The Conservation and Research Center was founded in 1974 when the director of the National Zoo, Theodore Reed, recognized the need for a captive breeding facility and initiated negotiations to obtain the land. The title was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1975, and work was begun immediately on developing the site into a zoological research facility.

Today the SCBI is host to range of zoological and ecological research. It hosts a 25-hectare (62-acre) forest dynamics plot that is part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science/Smithsonian Institution Global Earth Observatory, and has hosted the Mid-Atlantic core site in the National Ecological Observatory Network since 2013.

Programs

Amongst the SCBI's most well known research programs are those based on the captive breeding, and reintroduction, of such endangered species as the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and the Matschie's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus matechiei).

However, despite its accomplishments, the SCBI has not been exempt from controversy. In 2001, the former Smithsonian Secretary, Lawrence M. Small, backed by former Zoo Director Lucy Spelman, proposed the closure of the facility as a cost-saving measure. Opposition from the public and the scientific and conservation communities forced Secretary Small to back down from this decision.^[2] Afterwards, the leadership of Lawrence M. Small was shown to be fraught with corruption and waste,^[3][4] and he resigned as Secretary in 2007.^[5]

Since the departure of Small, the SCBI has formed many long term partnerships (e.g. with Center for Tropical Forest Science, George Mason University (Smithsonian-Mason Global Conservation Studies Program),^[6] and National Ecological Observatory Network) to help ensure its long-term viability.

Specimens

Currently, the SCBI's collection of animals stands at over 400 specimens, including 17 mammalian and 15 avian species.^{[citation needed]}

Ordinarily closed to the public, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute hosts an annual open-house event each fall. The "Autumn Conservation Festival" is sponsored by

Some of the species kept here include

References