Funded Student Summer Experiences for 2022 Coming Soon!
Developing and Testing Long-term Ecological Monitoring Protocols for Land Practitioners in South-Central Colorado
The Yale School of the Environment (YSE) and Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) will offer 3-4 fully funded summer experience available during May-August 2022 for Yale students. Summer experiences will involve collaborating closely with Yale School of the Environment faculty, staff, and land managers at a large ranch in south-central Colorado to test and implement newly drafted long-term ecological monitoring protocols.
These opportunities are part of a larger collaboration between YSE and on-the-ground practitioners in the western United States that is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of working landscapes, ecological processes, and effective land management strategies for conservation in the West. This work will directly benefit the scientific field and community, practitioners, and students.
More information is coming soon!
Western Resources Fellowship- Open for 2022
A student-driven query involving research, an internship, or management project during the summer.
Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative at YSE provides fellows with a financial award, logistical assistance, and mentorship to aid with a summer experience that will have a high impact on conservation, stewardship, or management of natural resources in the Rocky Mountain or High Plains regions. This program supports Yale graduate and undergraduate students completing a summer work that will provide them with practical experience, leadership skills, and/or research experience that will prepare fellows for their future careers. A financial award of up to $8,000 will be granted to each fellow. Fellows will actively participate in peer mentoring with other fellows and will receive guidance from UHPSI staff during the summer.
Read more about past fellows work: 2021 |Past fellowships.
How to Apply
Please apply using the Yale Students Grant Database. More information about applications materials can be found in PDF below along with general fellowship expectations.
View 10-minute presentations by each 2020 Western Resources Fellows by clicking here.
Zhi Li 
Frank Eccher 
Josh Perez-Cruet 
Shea Flanagan 
Danielle Glass 
Lucas Isakowitz 
Leif Castren 
Frank Eccher
National Forest Foundation Seeking Applications for 2022 Conservation Connect Fellowship Program
With Practicum
The National Forest Foundation (NFF) invites master’s and doctoral students to apply to the Conservation Connect Fellowship Program.
Conservation Connect Fellowships aim to build experience, knowledge, and skills within the next generation of collaborative and conservation leaders to support each other and advance the field. We are striving to build a cohort of emerging professionals will go on to do important work with communities and public lands in the future!
Do you want to match the knowledge you are acquiring through your academic work with practical, hands-on experience and contribute directly to collaborative stewardship of our National Forests?
Here’s what you will gain by being a Conservation Connect Fellow:
- Applied experience with conservation programs and projects through a practicum project. For example, depending on the project, fellows may work with diverse stakeholders, support and facilitate collaborative efforts, coordinate and implement projects, conduct research to improve conservation programs, and develop training curricula and strategic communications;
- Mentoring from skilled conservation professionals at the NFF and other nonprofit host organizations;
- Trainings in collaborative conservation, facilitation practice, the roles of the National Environmental Policy Act and U.S. Forest Service, and other topics;
- Real-world understanding of forest and public lands management; and
- An expanded personal and professional network.
Fellowships include a summer 2022 or academic year 2022-2023 practicum, which may be at a specific location or virtual depending on the project. Fellows will be compensated at a rate of $18/hour for up to 360 hours over the one-year fellowship.
Learn more about this opportunity and former fellows here. The NFF will accept applications through February 18, 2022.
Questions? Email Leah Zamesnik: lzamesnik@nationalforests.org
Land Management Field Practicum – Canceled for 2022
A 2-week field practicum during early June designed to engage Yale students with students from 3 other universities (University of Wyoming, Sheridan College, and Texas A&M University- Kingsville) in a collaborative, decision-making process to address a western, natural-resource issue. Practicum involves lectures, field data collection, and communication with diverse stakeholders to produce a conservation deliverable. This experiential, service-learning practicum engages students in applied problem solving with people of different backgrounds, skillsets, and perspectives. Each year the team addresses a issue that a group of western organizations are seeking more information on. Student then spend the fall summarizing data and authoring a report to guide land management decisions.
- All Yale students welcome to apply. Most expenses covered by UHPSI.
- Students can pair this 2-week experience with other summer internships or work.
- Week 1
- Lectures and field visits to introduce students to rangelands, plant identification, project design, and field methods.
- Students work collaboratively to develop their own data collection methods that will allow them to answer the management question at hand.
- Week 2
- Head into the field and put methods to work collecting data.
- Fall
- Analyze data and author a collaborative report that will be used by the land managers to make informed decisions.
Read more about past the field practicum.