It's almost Earth Day, and here at LSC, we're turning it into a weeklong celebration! Conservation Week is April 19-28 at LSC, an entire week devoted to activities, experiments, and demos all about protecting our environment and keeping its creatures safe.

During your visit, it's essential that you stop by to meet our cotton-top tamarin monkeys. Let us break it down for you with the five W's:

Who: Cotton-top tamarin monkeys

What: Cotton-top tamarins are diurnal (active during the day), monogamous (they generally only have one mate) monkeys.

Where: In New Jersey, you can find them here at LSC in our Eat and Be Eaten gallery on the third floor, along with 100+ fascinating animal species. In the wild, they are naturally found in Northern Columbia.

When: You can see them at LSC every day. But in the wild, they may not be around for much longer…

Why: Cotton-top tamarins are ranked by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as critically endangered (meaning they are in extremely high risk of extinction in the wild). It is estimated that fewer than 6,000 individuals remain in the wild, and some estimates are as low as 1,000. The most significant threat is deforestation – they have lost 75 percent of their original distribution due to deforestation. Want to help the tamarins?

How: To help these animals in the wild, you can start by reducing the amount of energy you use. Try incorporating simple habits – like turning lights off and taking shorter showers – into your daily routine. Learning more about animals, wildlife, and wild places is a great way to spread awareness and help!

Learn more when you join us for Conservation Week, April 19-28! We also have an amazing discount running this week – kids are eligible to receive $5 off their child ticket. Click here to get the details.

animals,  Conservation Week,  cotton-top tamarin monkeys,  Eat and Be Eaten