The Keller Science Action Center, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of the Field Museum comprised of scientists, students, and educators dedicated to the study, preservation, and conservation of natural areas all over the world. Their focus rests primarily in two areas: in the forests of the Andes-Amazon and at home in Chicago, IL.
The KSAC fulfills this mission in a few ways:
- Forging bonds with local partners
- Working with communities to identify local assets and develop quality-of-life plans.
- Training local youth to take independent conservatory action
- Conducting inventory of local flora and fauna
- Creating opportunities for community members to engage in natural stewardship
In the Amazon, efforts are focused on rapid inventories by documenting unnamed species and promoting local environmental stewardship. Since their inception, the KSAC has helped protect over 26 million acres of land and water. In Chicago (including Calumet and northwest Indiana), the KSAC seeks to create an ecological network of over 8 million acres to unite urban neighborhoods and natural areas.
