The Desert Research Institute (DRI), established in 1959, is a stand alone institution, within the Nevada System of Higher Education, that has about 500 researchers, staff and students working on approximately 300 environmental science research projects each year.

DRI is committed to science that improves people’s lives around the world, protects the Earth’s resources and helps to sustain our environment. Studies are conducted on every continent of the world.

One unique project was the research of indoor air pollutants of the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Shanxi Province, China. Emperor Qin’s 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons are the focus of the largest on-site museum in China with 1.5 million visitors annually.

Since the opening of the museum 25 years ago, the raised temperatures and humidity in the mausoleum and pollution from tourists has had a negative effect on the artifacts. The joint project with the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Earth Environment and other institutions researches the causes and remedies for the deterioration.

Research divisions of DRI include:

* Hydrologic Sciences
* Atmospheric Sciences
* Earth and Ecosystem Sciences
* Watersheds & Environmental Sustainability
* Arid Lands Environmental Management
* Environmental Remediation and Monitoring 
* Advanced Visualization, Computation and Modeling

DRI’s Renewable Energy Program researched such topics as tall wind tower development, climate change impacts, hydrogen fuel for transportation, hydrogen based renewable power systems, biomass/biofuels, small scale wind and solar systems, and pollutant emissions study for biodiesel.

DRI’s two main campuses are in Reno and Las Vegas, and other research facilities are located in Boulder City, Nevada and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Additional information on donation opportunities or program details can be found on their website.