The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. It is an independent federal agency headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. The Smithsonian’s collection of natural and cultural artifacts and specimens is among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to influence, encourage, and coordinate efforts to conserve the world’s natural resources. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
The Smithsonian Institution and the IUCN have a long-standing relationship. The Smithsonian has provided scientific expertise and research support to the IUCN for many years. The Smithsonian also publishes a number of scientific journals that are used by the IUCN, including the Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology and the Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology.
In recent years, the Smithsonian and the IUCN have worked together to develop a number of conservation projects, including the Smithsonian-IUCN Conservation Alliance and the Smithsonian-IUCN Center for Global Earth Observation. These projects aim to use the Smithsonian’s scientific expertise and the IUCN’s global network to address some of the most pressing conservation challenges facing the world today.
Here are some specific examples of how the Smithsonian and the IUCN have worked together:
- The Smithsonian-IUCN Conservation Alliance is a partnership that supports conservation projects in the Amazon rainforest. The alliance has helped to protect over 1 million hectares of rainforest and has supported the development of sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
- The Smithsonian-IUCN Center for Global Earth Observation is a partnership that uses satellite imagery and other remote sensing data to track the status of the world’s biodiversity. The center has helped to identify areas of high biodiversity that are under threat and has supported conservation efforts in these areas.
The Smithsonian Institution and the IUCN are committed to working together to conserve the world’s natural resources. Through their partnership, they are using their scientific expertise and global reach to make a difference for the planet.
