Acopian Center for the Environment

Mission

The mission of the Environmental Conservation and Research Center is to work to protect Armenia 's unparalleled and strategically important natural resources in all its biodiversity through research, education and public outreach.

Background

Our natural landscapes comprise a unique component of the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot, a region of relatively small geographic area but with a disproportionately large amount of the world's plant and animal life. Armenia also contains native ancestors of many of the world's domesticated food sources, such as wheat, barley, apricots, cherries, pears, plums, and almonds. The protection of these resources is critical for maintaining critical genetic variability of food plants.