Into the Wild

Students gain rare opportunity to study conservation efforts up close

This spring semester, for the first time, Mason students lived on site at the Conservation and Research Center (CRC) of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Front Royal, Virginia. The center, one of the premier conservation research facilities in the world, is internationally recognized for its research and professional training programs in conservation.

As part of the new Smithsonian Mason Semester program, 15 undergraduate juniors and seniors were housed in newly renovated residence facilities at CRC—just footsteps away from endangered species and other wildlife. The students had the opportunity to learn from prominent scientists and researchers, as well as interact with or observe the rare species that live on the 3,200-acre reserve, including the Eld’s deer, the black-footed ferret, the clouded leopard, and the red panda. The students received 16 credits on successful completion of the program.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for undergraduates to immerse themselves in the life of a scientist,” says Tom Wood, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’96, coordinator of the Smithsonian Mason Semester and director of the Mason Center for Conservation Studies.

The Smithsonian Mason Semester will be offered each spring to undergraduates from Mason and other U.S. and international universities. More information, including a video about the program, can be found at mccs.gmu.edu.