National Forest Foundation Fellowship

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) invites graduate students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree to apply to the 2025 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 leaders, connecting graduate students who will go on to do important work with communities and public lands in the future!

About the Fellowship

Fellows will match the knowledge they are acquiring through their academic work with practical, hands-on experience and contribute directly to collaborative stewardship of our National Forests.

Here’s what graduate students will gain through a Conservation Connect fellowship:
• Applied experience with a national leader in conservation through a hands-on practicum project.
• Mentorship from skilled conservation professionals from the NFF and its partners, including the USDA Forest Service.
• Trainings in collaborative leadership, including facilitation, community engagement, managing projects, and more.
• Real-world understanding of forest and public lands management.
• An expanded personal and professional network.
Fellowships include a summer 2025 and/or academic year 2025-26 practicum, which may be at a specific location or virtual depending on the project. Fellows are paid $20/hour for up to 300 hours of work and training.