The Wilds is one of the largest and most innovative conservation centers in the world, offering diverse training programs for early career professionals. The Wilds has nearly 10,000 acres of reclaimed mineland and remnant forest patches that present multiple opportunities for field research in habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring. Additionally, Ecology facilities include a Hellbender Conservation Center, American Burying Beetle breeding center, and the Conservation Science Training Center which includes a population genetics laboratory. Restoration activities include prairie, wetland, stream, lake, forest, and forest understory management and research.