The Conservation and Research Center is a research extension of Washington's National Zoological Park, itself a part of the Smithsonian Institution. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Front Royal, Virginia, USA, it's more than 3000 acres contain a variety of research facilities and animal enclosures. It's primary mission is the advancement of biodiversity conservation. It's secondary mission is the growing of hay for the National Zoo. Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. ... The elephant exibit at the National Zoo The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known in the United States as the National Zoo, is a zoo located in Washington, DC. Founded in 1889, it consists of two distinct installations: a 163 acre (0. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... Blue Ridge Mountains (NPS) Most of the rocks that form the Blue Ridge Mountains, United States, are ancient granitic and metamorphosed volcanic formations, some exceeding one billion years in age. ... Front Royal is a town located in Warren County, Virginia. ...

The CRC is similar to, but different than, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) P.O. Box 28 • 647 Contees Wharf Road • Edgewater, Maryland 21037-0028 443-482-2200 http://www. ...

Originally a remount station for the US Cavalry and then a research center for the US Department of Agriculture, the Center was taken over by the Smithsonian when the National Zoo was looking for a site to house animals outside of Washington. Currently the Center contains research laboratories in the areas of veterinary medicine, endocrinology, geographic information systems, and ecology. The purpose-built veterinary hospital includes world-class facilities for the management and treatment of large-bodied and exotic animals. The center continues to house array of animals from around the world for study, treatment and breeding. The United States Cavalry was a horse-mounted cavalry force which existed in various forms between 1775 to 1942. ... The U.S. Department of Agriculture, also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA, is a Cabinet department of the United States Federal Government. ...

Remnants of past occupants include the cavalry race track and horse cemetary, in which are buried the favourite and famous mounts of military officers, and the stone wall enclosing the track, constructed by the labour of Italian prisoners of war. A portion of the center grounds were more recently bequeathed by one Mr. Leach, owner of an adjacent farm and farm buildings, which now provide further ground for ecological studies and the housing of interns. In North America, an intern is one who works in a temporary position with an emphasis on education rather than merely employment, making it similar in some respects to an apprenticeship. ...

The CRC annually hosts the popular Autumn Conservation Festival, in which research groups from across the Smithsonian system present interactive exhibitions of their work for visitors.

The Appalachian Trail runs along the eastern border of the Center. The Pocosin cabin along the trail in Shenandoah National Park The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail, is a 2,174 mile (3500 km) marked hiking trail in the eastern United States, running from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. ...