It’s a branch of the Smithsonian you may have never heard of — located about an hour outside of D.C. in Edgewater, Maryland.

Though it’s off-the-beaten path, the work they’re doing has an impact that extends all around the globe. Comprised of nearly 3,000 acres and 15 miles of shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay, the sheer scale of projects here is massive — and their research is measured in decades.

In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” we’re heading to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center!

If you’re wondering exactly what it is they do here, the better question is: what don’t they do?

The ultimate goal at SERC is to run ongoing experiments, exploring the various phenomena of Mother Nature in hopes of keeping humanity and our ecosystems thriving. But scientists and researchers at SERC accomplish this in a variety of ways.

Tag along for this eye-opening exploration, highlighting everything from examining massive cargo ships to simulating climate change.

And don’t forget to tune into this Thursday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” where we go in-depth to take a look at another one of the major ongoing projects happening at SERC: a study of the Chesapeake’s cutest apex predator, the North American river otter.

To learn even more about SERC, visit their website.

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