As director of advancement, Matt Cannella leads a team of professionals to raise critical funds for the organization’s conservation work, exhibits, education programs, and operations. He also manages the National Zoo Membership program, special events and advisory board.
National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Cannella worked at The George Washington
Our work broadly focuses on the ecology, evolution and conservation of migratory birds.
Founded in 1991, we are located at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington
Michael Lefenfeld is president and chief executive officer at Hexion Inc. and serves as a member of the board of managers for ASP Resins Holdings LP.
from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Washington
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute plays a leading role in the Smithsonian’s global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists.
conservation headquarters in Front Royal, Virginia, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington
To celebrate 50 years of giant panda care, collaboration and conservation, we’ve curated a collection of cute Giant Panda Cam moments from the past decade that connected viewers with nature, sparked pure panda joy and broke the internet.
Video Jan. 31, 2021 | Panda Parents Sled in the Snow As snow blanketed the Washington
From scorching deserts to freezing oceans, birds have developed incredible methods for regulating their body temperatures.
that live in the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington
Scientists at SCBI study and breed 20 nimal species, including some that were once extinct in the wild, such as black-footed ferrets and scimitar-horned oryx. Animals thrive in specialized barns and building complexes spread over more than 1,000 acres.
s National Zoo’s legacy of conservation work extends beyond the public Zoo in Washington
Paige Byerly is a postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics. Her research focuses on avian evolution, population dynamics, and conservation. Her primary areas of expertise include museum genomics, population genomics, and Caribbean seabird ecology. Her current research at SCBI is a joint project with Dr. Philip Lavretsky’s lab at the University of Texas El Paso, investigating the genomic consequences of domestic and wild mallard interbreeding on wild mallards. She is also partnering with U.S.
Byerly Postdoctoral Researcher B.A., University of Washington; B.S.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is dedicated to saving species. Every day, its scientists and partners undertake important conservation efforts to protect species and their habitats.
Every day, its scientists and partners — here in Washington, D.C., at Smithsonian
Celebrate giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s birthday—and Zoo Guardians’ first anniversary—with giant panda keeper and real-life Zoo Guardian, Nicole MacCorkle!
I grew up in the Washington, D.C., area, and my family visited the Zoo’s first pair
