New York, NY (April 20, 2021)— The Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced that it is accepting applications for its 2021-2022 Conservation Diversity Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to college graduates or postgraduates pursuing professional experience in the field of conservation. The one-year Conservation Fellowship has a flexible start date between July and September 2021 and concludes summer, 2022. Application deadline for the upcoming session is May 15, 2021.
OSI’s Conservation Diversity Fellowship is a full-time, one-year, paid position in New York City that offers candidates from diverse backgrounds the chance to work with environmental leaders and accomplish meaningful conservation goals.
“OSI is enthusiastic about finding and supporting talented, young conservationists from various backgrounds who are passionate about the field of conservation and who provide new ideas that can enrich our work,” said Kim Elliman, OSI’s president and CEO. “For the past five years, OSI has been grateful for the opportunity to mentor, and also learn from, our Conservation Fellows.”
“My time spent at the Open Space Institute as a Conservation Fellow has truly been a positive and mind-opening experience. I have always been passionate about wildlife conservation and ecology, but my time here exposed me to the human dimensions of conservation and the challenges of integrating equity into our work – a field I came in knowing very little about. Now as I prepare to depart, I learned that the intersection of humans, wildlife, and the history of a landscape is something that should not be ignored. I feel tremendously fortunate to be involved in these conversations and exposed to these lessons,” said Vigyaan Ramadhin, OSI’s 2019-21 Conservation Fellow.
OSI established the year-long Conservation Diversity Fellowship in 2016 and the fellowship is aimed at discovering and mentoring exceptional, conservation-minded young professionals and helping them take the next step in their career. At the end of their fellowship, candidates create a final project, delving into a singular aspect of conservation and creating a tangible community resource.
OSI’s multifaceted programs give the Conservation Fellow wide-ranging experience in the field of conservation and, throughout the year, fellows have the chance to work on projects based on their education and desired career path.
Working alongside OSI staff, the Conservation Fellow spends the year exploring career topics in conservation such as expanding recreational access to public lands; administering grants for land protection; protecting land through conservation real estate transactions; developing science and research on conservation and climate; and learning non-profit administration and finance.
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OSI’s Conservation Diversity Fellowship
Learn more about the fellowship and application process.