Conservation and Research Center
Encyclopedia
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution
located on a 3200 acres (13 km²) campus located just outside the historic town of Front Royal, Virginia
. An extension of the National Zoological Park 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. Previously named the Conservation and Research Center, the CRC became known as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2010 as a symbol of its growing independence from the captive animals associated with the traditional images of zoos.
leased some 42 area farms. In the years predating World War I
, the land served as a series of cavalry
remount stations, supplying horses and mules to the military. The federal government
ultimately purchased the land in 1911 and began construction on the Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot. Completed in 1916, the Depot consisted of eleven barn and stable facilities, hundreds of miles of split-rail fencing, many miles of access roads, and even a rail yard facility for the import and export of animals. The Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot remained in operation throughout both world wars, and was eventually expanded to include a canine training facility and detention barracks for 600 German and Italian prisoners of war.
In 1948 Congress
passed legislation transferring ownership of the land to the Department of Agriculture
, which redeveloped the property into a beef cattle research station. In conjunction with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech), the USDA experimented with various environmental and husbandry conditions, designed to quantitatively and qualitatively improve the meat production of various cattle breeds. The Department of State
leased part of the compound from USDA for use as an emergency relocation and communications site, with support infrastructure for the Secretary of State
and 700 other departmental employees. The USDA closed the station in 1973, leaving the site temporarily vacant.
The Conservation and Research Center was founded in 1974 when the director of the National Zoo, Dr. 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 large (25 ha) forest dynamics plot that is part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science
/ Smithsonian Global Earth Observatory and is slated to be the Mid-Atlantic core site in the National Ecological Observatory Network
.
(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 Dr. Lucy Spellman, 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. Since then, the leadership of Lawrence M. Small
has been shown to be fraught with corruption and waste
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), and National Ecological Observatory Network
) that will ensure its long-term viability.
ian and 15 avian
species.
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 Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) and provides an opportunity for members of the public to tour the grounds and veterinary facilities, interact with the staff and learn more about the research conducted at the SCBI. The “Autumn Conservation Festival” is held on the first weekend in October.
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
located on a 3200 acres (13 km²) campus located just outside the historic town of Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.-Geography:Front Royal is roughly west of Washington, D.C....
. An extension of the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the SCBI has played a leading role in the fields of veterinary medicine, reproductive physiology and conservation biology since its founding in 1974. Previously named the Conservation and Research Center, the CRC became known as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2010 as a symbol of its growing independence from the captive animals associated with the traditional images of zoos.
The Site
The land on which the SCBI lies has a long and rich history dating back to 1909, when the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
leased some 42 area farms. In the years predating World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the land served as a series of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
remount stations, supplying horses and mules to the military. The federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
ultimately purchased the land in 1911 and began construction on the Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot. Completed in 1916, the Depot consisted of eleven barn and stable facilities, hundreds of miles of split-rail fencing, many miles of access roads, and even a rail yard facility for the import and export of animals. The Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot remained in operation throughout both world wars, and was eventually expanded to include a canine training facility and detention barracks for 600 German and Italian prisoners of war.
In 1948 Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
passed legislation transferring ownership of the land to the Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
, which redeveloped the property into a beef cattle research station. In conjunction with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Virginia Tech), the USDA experimented with various environmental and husbandry conditions, designed to quantitatively and qualitatively improve the meat production of various cattle breeds. The Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
leased part of the compound from USDA for use as an emergency relocation and communications site, with support infrastructure for the Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
and 700 other departmental employees. The USDA closed the station in 1973, leaving the site temporarily vacant.
The Conservation and Research Center was founded in 1974 when the director of the National Zoo, Dr. 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 large (25 ha) forest dynamics plot that is part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science
Center for Tropical Forest Science
The Center for Tropical Forest Science, or CTFS, is a consortium of forest researchers who pursue long-term research on tree populations using comparable census method. The work developed out of a study of 50 hectares of forest on Barro Colorado Island in Panama begun in 1981...
/ Smithsonian Global Earth Observatory and is slated to be the Mid-Atlantic core site in the National Ecological Observatory Network
National Ecological Observatory Network
National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. is an independent 5013 corporation created to manage large-scale ecological observing systems and experiments on behalf of the scientific community. NEON is an observatory managed by NEON, Inc. and is funded by the National Science Foundation. NEON...
.
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 FerretBlack-footed Ferret
The Black-footed Ferret , also known as the American polecat or Prairie Dog Hunter, is a species of Mustelid native to central North America. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN, because of its very small and restricted populations...
(Mustela nigripes), the Clouded Leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
(Neofelis nebulosa), and the Matschie's Tree-kangaroo
Matschie's Tree-kangaroo
Matschie's Tree-kangaroo , also known as the Huon Tree-kangaroo is a tree-kangaroo native to the Huon Peninsula of North Eastern New Guinea...
(Dendrolagus matechiei). However, despite its accomplishments, the SCBI has not been exempt from controversy. In 2001, the former Smithsonian Secretary, Lawrence M. Small
Lawrence M. Small
Lawrence M. Small was the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal National Mortgage Association and the 11th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.-Background:...
, backed by former Zoo Director Dr. Lucy Spellman, 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. Since then, the leadership of Lawrence M. Small
Lawrence M. Small
Lawrence M. Small was the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal National Mortgage Association and the 11th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.-Background:...
has been shown to be fraught with corruption and waste
Since the departure of Small, the SCBI has formed many long term partnerships (e.g. with Center for Tropical Forest Science
Center for Tropical Forest Science
The Center for Tropical Forest Science, or CTFS, is a consortium of forest researchers who pursue long-term research on tree populations using comparable census method. The work developed out of a study of 50 hectares of forest on Barro Colorado Island in Panama begun in 1981...
, George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
(Smithsonian-Mason Global Conservation Studies Program), and National Ecological Observatory Network
National Ecological Observatory Network
National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. is an independent 5013 corporation created to manage large-scale ecological observing systems and experiments on behalf of the scientific community. NEON is an observatory managed by NEON, Inc. and is funded by the National Science Foundation. NEON...
) that will ensure its long-term viability.
The Collection
Currently, the SCBI's collection of animals stands at over 400 specimens, including 17 mammalMammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ian and 15 avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species.
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 Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) and provides an opportunity for members of the public to tour the grounds and veterinary facilities, interact with the staff and learn more about the research conducted at the SCBI. The “Autumn Conservation Festival” is held on the first weekend in October.