SmithsonianCampaign. SMITHSONIAN environmental research center

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1 SmithsonianCampaign SMITHSONIAN environmental research center

2 Anson Tuck H. Hines director Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Leadership Message I was immersed in the beauty and urban runoff. They have promoted tactics biodiversity of reefs and kelp forests as to restore blue crab fisheries and advised a young marine biologist growing up in government officials on regulations to prevent Hawaii and California. I transformed my the spread of invasive species by ballast water passion into a profession at the Smithsonian, in ships. researching the nation s largest estuary The Smithsonian founded the center 50 years the Chesapeake Bay and coastal habitats ago at the doorstep of the nation s capital and from Alaska to China. made a commitment to long-term research on During the past 40 years, I have watched coastal ecosystems. Today, our Chesapeake an insidious ecological deterioration as research site has increased seven-fold and these environments, once teeming with serves as both a special model and network life, have endured pollution, overfishing, hub to global environmental observatories deforestation, overdevelopment and around the globe. now rapid climate change. Despite I hope you will support our vision to return my alarm, I know environmental science us to a sustainable future. The need is provides solutions to reverse these impacts. urgent and our history shows every gift has At the Smithsonian Environmental Research tremendous power to catalyze success. Center, our scientists have developed strategies for protecting stream-side forests that prevent pollution from farming and Our goal $5 million Nearly three-quarters of the world s population lives in coastal zones. These crucial ecosystems face rapidly accelerating change. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is a leader in research of coastal land-use management, overfishing, invasive species and the impact of pollution. Through the Smithsonian Campaign, we will discover more science-based solutions for sustainability and attract the world s finest scientists. 1

3 Case for Support Investing in Environmental Science to Sustain Our Planet Through the campaign, we will discover more science-based solutions for sustainability. Smithsonian biologists sample fish biodiversity in the Rhode River, a Chesapeake Bay tributary, as part of long-term study of ecosystem health and the impact of non-native species. Photo STEVE SNITEMAN The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center sits on 2,650 acres of fields, forests and wetlands along the shoreline of the nation s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. This setting provides a unique site for integrating long-term environmental research, education and stewardship. It serves as both a model for sustainability and a nexus for global ecological observatories in forests and estuarine ecosystems. Connecting Citizens for Environmental Solutions With campaign investments, we will establish a new, far-reaching Citizen Science Commons. It will serve as a training center and hub for connecting active participants in our research observatories around the world. Citizens will help search for solutions in diverse projects, from forest ecology to fisheries and from global change to watershed dynamics. We will build on our success to inform real-world decisions for wise policies, best business practices and a sustainable planet. Eco-Science 50 Our work is urgent. Environmental change is increasing at an alarming rate, and the world s coastal zones experience intense economic activity. We are investing in the next half-century of science research through our initiative, Eco-Science 50. Our scientists will chart new frontiers in forecasting the causes and impacts of changing environments. Additionally, genomic research holds the promise to answer important questions about ecosystem services, which ultimately will help us solve ecological challenges. Campaign gifts to support talented young researchers and visiting scientists will help foster new ideas and technology and will enable our research to meet challenges far into the future. We seek funding for summer interns, post-doctoral fellows and a new program to train the next generation of sustainability-minded citizens. 2 3

4 Our Campaign Priorities Campaign gifts to support talented young researchers and visiting scientists will help foster new ideas and technology and enable our research to meet challenges far into the future. In the early morning on the Rhode River, a Smithsonian scientist lowers a solar radiometer to monitor light levels as part as an effort to restore submerged vegetation. Citizen Science Commons We seek $3 million to establish a Citizen Science Commons. We will build a training center at our Chesapeake campus to serve as a hub connected to our forest and marine observatories around the globe. A gift of $2 million for the Citizen Science Lodge and Training Center offers a naming opportunity. Gifts of $250,000 to $1 million for the Commons and ecological themes for sustainability also may be recognized with naming. Eco-Science 50 We seek $2 million for investments in Eco-Science 50, our initiative for the next half-century. Gifts of $10,000 will fund summer internships and $120,000 will support two-year post-doctoral fellowships. A gift of $350,000 will help build new housing for visiting scientists. A $500,000 investment will launch the new long-term experiment, Biodiversi-Tree. Through this project, scientists will track how tree biodiversity and climate change affect forests during the next 100 years. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL OR VISIT SMITHSONIANCAMPAIGN.ORG. The Smithsonian Campaign will transform a national treasure into a catalyst for change. Please join us as we raise $1.5 billion to spark discovery, tell America s story, inspire lifelong learning and reach people everywhere. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is raising $5 million of the Smithsonian Campaign s overall goal. SmithsonianCampaign 4

5 COVER The shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding landscape serve as a natural laboratory for long-term ecological research on the interactions of land, water and air in the coastal zone. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Director of Development PO Box Contees Wharf Road Edgewater, MD