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Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Understanding Ecosystems for a Sustainable Future

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Biodiversity Change As Powerful as Climate Change

When it comes to creating healthy, productive ecosystems, a new Nature paper found that biodiversity can be just as crucial as climate. (Photo: Ross Whippo/SERC)
Free Evening Lecture 9/19: The Power of Streamside Forests

Join SERC ecologist Don Weller and discover how riparian buffers like streamside forests help restore the Bay. Lecture starts Tue, Sept. 19 at 7pm. Bay Optimism lectures free and open to all!
Guided Canoe Trips

Search for wildlife on the Rhode River with one of our trained guides. No prior experience needed! Advance signups required. Click for dates and details.
Director's Letter: The Year of Earth Optimism

"Earth Optimism does not mean the road ahead will be smooth, or that we are blind to the problems we face. It means we refuse to believe those problems are unconquerable."
Making Sense of Climate Change

Get the truth on the science and history of climate change, in this 6-part lecture series hosted by SERC plant ecologist Bert Drake. Watch all six episodes online!

Discover Smithsonian science in your backyard!
Visiting Hours:
Monday through Saturday, 8:30am-4:30pm. Closed Sundays and federal holidays.

Featured Events

Filtering Out Pollution with Riparian Buffers

Lecture

Filtering Out Pollution with Riparian Buffers

Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Event Location
Schmidt Conference Center

Speaker: Don Weller, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Pre-registration Required
No

View Event Details

Lecture

Tue., Sep 19 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Keynote Robert Lee Forrest Lecture: Drawing Inspiration from the Sea

Lecture

Keynote Robert Lee Forrest Lecture: Drawing Inspiration from the Sea

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Speaker: Jim Toomey, cartoonist of Sherman's Lagoon

Join us for the finale of our free Bay Optimism lecture series! The festivities start with a pre-lecture dessert reception at 6:30pm, followed by the lecture at 7.

Pre-registration Required
No

View Event Details

Lecture

Tue., Oct 17 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

View calendar of events

Underwater Sound Reveals Hidden Creatures

Photo: Erica Staaterman/SERC
Counting Invasive Crabs in California

Photo: Ryan Greene/SERC
5 Summer Activities That Can Spread Invaders

Photo: Ian Davidson

Image Gallery

Scientist with tagged blue crab

Ecosystems on the Edge

seagrass

Shorelines Blog

crane

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, Sep 19

Filtering Out Pollution with Riparian Buffers

Lecture

Filtering Out Pollution with Riparian Buffers

Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Event Location
Schmidt Conference Center

Speaker: Don Weller, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Pre-registration Required
No

View Event Details

7:00PM - 8:00PM

Thursday, Sep 21

Science Seminar: Non-native pest risks in fruits and vegetables, and the value of systematics

Lecture

Science Seminar: Non-native pest risks in fruits and vegetables, and the value of systematics

Thursday, September 21, 2017 - 11:00am - 12:00pm

Event Location
Schmidt Conference Center

Speaker: Lars Olson, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland

Pre-registration Required
No

View Event Details

11:00AM - 12:00PM

Sunday, Sep 24

Triathlon for the Chesapeake

Triathlon for the Chesapeake

Sunday, September 24, 2017 - 7:30am

Event Location
Schmidt Conference Center (Registration)

Bike, swim and run through the scenic SERC campus, at a Tri For The Chesapeake triathlon!

Pre-registration Required
Yes

Sign Up To Race (non-Smithsonian site)

View Event Details

7:30AM

Saturday, Oct 14

Guided Canoe Trip

Field Trip

Guided Canoe Trip

Saturday, October 14, 2017 - 9:00am - 12:00pm

Paddle along the Rhode River while learning about the native wildlife of Chesapeake Bay! No prior experience necessary. Advanced signups required. Click for details and registration info.

Pre-registration Required
Yes

Canoe Trip Signup Form

View Event Details

9:00AM - 12:00PM
Archaeology Dig Day

Citizen Science

Archaeology Dig Day

Saturday, October 14, 2017 - 9:30am - 3:30pm

The SERC Archaeology Lab is looking for volunteers to help excavate sites on our campus in Edgewater, Maryland. Volunteers will work alongside researchers and citizen scientists to excavate units, sieve sediment, and wash and sort artifacts.

Pre-registration Required
Yes

View Event Details

9:30AM - 3:30PM

View calendar of events

SERC 50 Anniversary Icon

50 Years of Discovery

For half a century, SERC scientists have taken on environmental issues on Chesapeake Bay and around the world and uncovered new ways to protect the planet. Learn more about SERC’s history and discoveries.