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Collaborative Institutions

ESP faculty collaborate with numerous external insitutions. Listed below are a few examples.

 

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve [top]

Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve: A 695 acre nature preserve operated by Loudoun County comprising forest, old fields, ponds and streams, including the Goose Creek. The old fields span a range of successional stages of known age and are managed to facilitate comparative ecological studies. A recent Mason graduate produced a checklist of vascular plants for this preserve.

 

Environmental Studies at Airlie [top]

Environmental Studies at Airlie works with other recognized environmental organizations to promote and support environmental education, research, and policy making. Airlie has surveyed 35 species of waterfowl and 38 species of butterflies on Airlie's campus. ESP is contributing to Airlie’s conservation efforts, especially related to its waterfowl research program. This program was a featured article in the Audubon Magazine. To learn more about Airlie, visit their website or contact Dr. R. Christian Jones.

 

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) [top]

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is one of the world's premier endangered species research facilities. The 3,200 acree SCBI campus in Front Royal, VA (formerly the Conservation and Research Center) started primarily as a breeding center for endangered birds and mammals. Today, the black-footed ferret, Eld's deer, and several species of Pacific island birds are being bred to maintain genetic diversity and provide reserves for highly endangered species. The current priority for SCBI's animal collection is veterinary and reproductive research. By living in controlled environments, the birds and mammals—most of them little-known and endangered—provide ideal subjects for intensive study and the rapid acquisition of urgently needed information. Findings from these studies provide critical information for the management of captive populations and valuable insights for the conservation and management of wild populations. Researchers and students interested in SCBI’s projects have a unique opportunity to live and study at the campus, where they can utilize a number of laboratory and field techniques, such as cryobiology and the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems. SCBI is currently directed by Steven Monfort, a Mason alumnus (PhD ESPP '93) who worked in close collaboration with George Mason University colleagues to establish the Smithsonian-Mason Semester in Conservation Studies program in 2008. This exciting in-residence program at SCBI immerses undergraduates in an interdisciplinary, conservation learning environment. For more information about the Mason Center for Conservation Studies (MCCS), contact Dr. R. Christian Jones.

 

Virginia Department of Transportation [top]

Virginia Department of Transportation: The Ted R. Bradley Herbarium maintains a cooperative agreement with VDOT to help catalog species within prospective road right-of-ways.