Greensboro Science Center

Conservation

Conservation

Our Mission: The Greensboro Science Center’s conservation mission is to preserve species and habitats through on-site programs, community awareness, field studies and fundraising for local and global conservation efforts.

Our Vision: Conservation and preservation of animals and habitats can only be realized by altering individual habits and behaviors, and by working collaboratively with organizations, academics and governing bodies to better our environment.

Conservation Events

The GSC hosts events throughout the year for the Conservation Fund, which is used to support internal and field conservation efforts.

Coins for Conservation

Your small change is making a big difference! Every time you visit the GSC, you are supporting wildlife conservation. Twenty-five cents of each admission ticket is allocated to conservation efforts. Upon entry, you will receive a token that allows you to cast a vote for 1 of 3 conservation projects. See below for current projects.

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I.CARE is dedicated to restoring the reefs of Islamorada, including the world famous Alligator Reef. Their mission is to incorporate local businesses, residents, and visitors in the restoration and maintenance of the coral reef communities in Islamorada.

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The Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP) is science driven and dedicated to conservation of Hawaii’s native forest ecosystems. Formed in 1997, their mission is to develop and implement techniques that recover Maui’s endangered forest birds and restore their habitats through research, development, and application of conservation techniques.

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The Sloth Conservation Foundation (SloCo) was founded in 2017 by sloth researcher Dr. Rebecca Cliffe and is dedicated to saving sloths in the wild. Their mission is to safeguard a future for sloths through the development of innovative and long-term conservation solutions that target both the human and sloth populations, with the goal of developing sustainable ways in which humans and sloths can coexist.

Conservation in Action

The GSC protects native wildlife by providing habitats for species in need. All activity from these projects is documented and shared with global conservation organizations to better preserve our backyard wildlife.

Whether we are installing a garden or reinventing a nature trail, we couldn’t do our work without the use of our truck. But before the flowers bloom, we have to dig up the land and get a little dirty. Understanding that we are responsible for restoring the land we disturb is something the GSC and Extreme Terrain Clean Trail Project don’t take for granted. We are proud to be recipients of the Extreme Terrain Clean Trail Project.

The GSC houses a lab dedicated to the propagation and conservation of NC’s freshwater mussels. Host fish and young mussels are raised in the lab for propagation. With support from NCWRC mussels will be returned to NC streams as part of the state’s conservation action plan.

From late May through early September, the GSC houses a native species butterfly exhibit. Monarch butterflies are raised in the exhibit and the last generation are tagged and released for their migration to Mexico.

Throughout the zoo and in our neighboring Country Park are pollinator pockets, or small gardens designed to support the various life stages on our native butterfly species.

The GSC, alongside the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and UNC, are studying many species at a site in Guilford County that is slated for mitigation in the coming years. The team is researching animal presence and, to a lesser extent, behavior before, during, and after mitigation to understand how different taxa are impacted by water and land changes.

The GSC supports Island Conservation in studying and working to conserve the endangered Mona Iguana on Mona Island, Puerto Rico. From trail cameras to track predators, removal of invasive vegetation, to individual species surveys, the GSC works on the island with IC to conserve the native and endemic species of Mona Island.

The GSC is a member of the VI Boa conservation team, that is working to track, breed, and preserve the VI Boa. The GSC with IC is working to eradicate islands in the Virgin Island archipelago from rats to support populations of VI boas.

We use bioacoustics to study the presence and behaviors of species that produce ultrasonic vocalizations. We study bats, rodents, and mouse lemurs using bioacoustics. This tool helps us to understand these animals noninvasively so we can support their conservation in the wild.

Conservation & Research Partners

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Piedmont Land Conservancy

The GSC supports the Piedmont Land Conservancy. Property throughout the Piedmont is protected and preserved in its natural state because of the work of the Conservancy. To learn more about Piedmont Land Conservancy and how to get involved, visit https://www.piedmontland.org/.

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Island Conservation

Invasive species are problematic around the world, but their effects are magnified on islands. Nearly half of our world’s threatened vertebrates live on islands and are endangered by invasive species. The GSC works with IC to restore islands and allow native and often endemic species to thrive.

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DUCK Lab Research

The GSC hosts and collaborates with the Development and Understanding of Children’s Knowledge lab from UNCG to research how children learn, interpret, retain and understand science based on the different educational mediums we use to share information.

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SAFE

Saving Animals From Extinction focuses the collective expertise within AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. The GSC supports various SAFE programs that are actively involved in the conservation of species we hold within our collection.

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Seafood Watch® Program – A GSC Conservation Partner

The Greensboro Science Center is a proud partner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch® program to help consumers and businesses make ocean-friendly seafood choices.

Humans have depended on food from the oceans for thousands of years. But in recent decades, the health of the ocean has changed and the availability of healthy, sustainable fish is declining. Pollution, habitat destruction, and overfishing are placing our oceans’ fishes in trouble. But we can fix this and you can help.

What is Seafood Watch?
The vision of Seafood Watch is to help sustain wild, diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems that will exist long into the future. They encourage consumers and businesses to purchase seafood that is fished or farmed in ways that are sustainable. Seafood Watch uses science-based, peer reviewed methods to assess how fisheries and farmed seafood impact the environment and they provide recommendations indicating which items are ‘Best Choices,’ ‘Good Alternatives,’ and which ones to ‘Avoid.’

What You Can Do
You can help keep the ocean healthy by picking up a Seafood Watch guide at the GSC and by following Seafood Watch on Facebook and Twitter. You can also visit the Seafood Watch website for up-to-date recommendations on where to find ocean-friendly seafood.