Samsung Group is extending its hands to help the wildlife by collaborating with the Smithsonian National Zoo to bring back the migration experience of the black-crowned night heron.
The Washington, D.C. zoo has been the sanctuary of the night herons since the late 1800s when a flock descended onto the place for the first time, where they roosted. Since then, they have been returning to the place annually.
According to the Smithsonian Zoological Park, the birds are called night heron because they usually forage at night or early morning. A black-crowned heron is about 25 inches tall, has shorter legs, necks and bills and breeds on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. They are in every type of wetland habitats like wooded swamps, riparian forests, mangroves, marshes or occasionally, rice field and grasslands.
These birds have a remarkable migration and are distinct and were almost hunted to extinction at the 20th century's turn since they are the only breeding colony of its kind in the whole Mid-Atlantic region.
However, after the breeding season, they are nowhere to be found, hence, it is difficult to protect them. The zoo's Migratory Bird Center launched a new public education, research and conservation and made steps to track the migration patterns of the herons. This is where the South Korean conglomerate comes in.
Samsung Group provides technology to help Smithsonian National Zoo and the people involved in the migration experience in a meaningful way. A few years back, the experts of Zoo ornithology started to identify innovative tech that could help them track the accuracy of the bird migrations.
For instance, it tried using light transmitters which the herons carry without jeopardizing their movements. Through the transmitter signals, they found out that in the winter, most of the herons fly to Florida or The Everglades, almost 1,100 miles frorm Washington, D.C.
Samsung Group was honored to be the Technology Advisor to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute this summer, reported SamsungTomorrow.
The Galaxy device maker helped by providing software design expertise, display monitors and cameras, like the Black-Crowned Night Heron 360° Camera to enable the Zoo to have an immersive way so the public engage and learn the bird experience and the migration journey it makes each year.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo website provides a panoramic view of the herons in Washington, D.C. for online visitors by placing a cursor and literally turn the view to 360 degrees.
