Through the Conservation Education Lab at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research™, visitors are inspired to better understand and value biodiversity and to make positive behavioral changes when empowered with data-driven information and evidence. Much of our conservation work focuses on the myriad unique species found right here in our own region. This year we will debut our Native Biodiversity Outdoor Learning Center, where visitors of all ages can explore the conservation methods and philosophies that we use to save Southern California species like the desert tortoise, Pacific pocket mouse, California condor, Stephens' kangaroo rat, coastal cactus wren, and burrowing owl. Since the lab's unveiling in 2006, more than 12,000 students from kindergarten to graduate school have engaged in hands-on, science-based activities that encourage them to apply their textbook knowledge of biology and chemistry to solve real-world challenges in wildlife conservation.
