Founded in 1978, with its headquarters overlooking Dartmouth’s Slocum River, one of southeastern New England’s most spectacular estuaries, the Lloyd Center has achieved a well-earned reputation for excellence in environmental research and education. Through its innovative outreach programs, it has established itself as a leader in the ongoing effort to raise awareness of the area’s fragile coastal resources and the importance of protecting them. With extraordinary water views and five miles of hiking-trails through unspoiled forest and salt marshes at its coastal nature preserve, the Center has been designated one of 15 "Special Places" in Massachusetts. It offers a variety of recreational and educational opportunities for families, bird-watchers, school-children, hikers, scientists and nature enthusiasts of all ages. In 2005, its school programs served 13,000 students in 25 towns (focusing on the Greater New Bedford-Fall River region), 200 students participated in summer programs, and it provided numerous teacher professional development workshops. Two interactive science programs, Feathery Focus and Turn-the-Tide, have now been implemented into the curriculum of area public elementary schools. The Center also conducts independent research, such as a three-year wetland assessment project, and is instrumental in the monitoring and protecting of local endangered species, including Piping Plovers and Diamondback Terrapins. The Center also has an exhibit hall featuring native species, free to the public. Trails are open dawn to dusk, seven days a week, year-round.