The TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program invests in promising and proven leaders who are committed to empowering others and to creating positive environmental change in their communities and organizations. Each Fellow will receive professional development opportunities, a $10,000 grant to help support an innovative Conservation Action Project, and an opportunity to network with a cadre of committed leaders.

The TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program is designed to:

• Build capacity of current and future conservation leaders by providing them with skills, tools, and approaches to achieve conservation results.
• Engage new and diverse audiences in conservation action.
• Achieve tangible conservation results that measurably contribute to the overall conservation goals of TogetherGreen.

We are looking for Fellows from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, and who share a commitment to learning and leading—using their knowledge, skills, and motivation to engage others in conservation action and achieve results. 

In addition to being part of a prestigious cadre of leaders, TogetherGreen Fellows will receive:

• Professional development focused on leadership, innovation, communications, conservation planning, outreach to diverse audiences, and evaluation in a creative and supportive learning environment
• Financial support to attend a five-day Leadership Institute and a three-day, follow-up Retreat, including costs for travel and lodging
• A $10,000 grant to help support a creative Conservation Action Project as well as additional training opportunities
• Networking opportunities to meet and collaborate with other TogetherGreen Fellows and opportunities to establish strong professional connections with Audubon staff and other leaders in the conservation field
• Opportunities to secure additional funding through the TogetherGreen Innovation Grants Program*
• Opportunities for public recognition through media and web promotion

* Alumni who work for an organization who are interested in applying for a grant can apply after the fellowship by working with an organization in the Audubon network (Audubon State Offices, Centers, and Chapters). Individuals are not eligible for grants, only organizations. For more information on eligibility and selection criteria for these grants, visit the Innovation Grants.  

Applicants must:

• Have at least six years of experience in conservation, environmental education, policy, or environmental issues, as demonstrated through current and past work experience, academic studies related to conservation, and/or volunteer work.
• Have a current affiliation (full- or part-time employment or equivalent volunteer commitment) with a conservation organization, business, university, community-based organization, or other professional organization whose goals and practices make a positive contribution to conservation.

Fellows will be required to attend the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Institute: a week-long professional development course focused on enhancing conservation skills and sharing the latest thinking on achieving sustainable conservation success. The Institute will also highlight the importance using education, communications, outreach, and social marketing to engage diverse communities in conservation. The Leadership Institute will help bridge the gap among conservation professionals working in different aspects of the field and create a network of leaders who support each other and share best practices. In summer 2009, Fellows will come back together for a thee-day follow-up retreat to hone in on key conservation issues, network, and share experiences.

Institute Dates: October 26-31, 2008 at the National Conservation and Training Center, Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Additionally, up to 25 percent of the $10,000 grant can be applied toward professional development activities (individual training courses) directly linked to implementing each Fellow’s Conservation Action Project. For example, a Fellow who wants to learn more about outreach strategies or management may sign up for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service training course. 

Fellows are encouraged to build on their current conservation work by discussing their Conservation Action Projects with their employers and integrating the projects into existing work or volunteer commitments when possible.

Conservation Action Projects must focus on one or more of the conservation goals of TogetherGreen, complement National and State Audubon goals (for Audubon Fellows), and/or address specific environmental behaviors. Fellows will be expected to evaluate their Conservation Action Projects using evaluation guidelines approved by Audubon.

TogetherGreen Conservation Goals
Achieving Conservation Results by Engaging People!

TogetherGreen Fellows will be selected through a competitive, merit-based process. Eligible candidates must submit a complete application form along with two letters of recommendation and other supporting documents as described below. A National Advisory Board (composed of individuals representing diverse fields, including conservation biology, leadership and training, strategic communications, education, organizational development, and evaluation) will review applications and identify the top candidates based on the following criteria:

• Professional qualifications as evidenced by previous and current conservation-related experiences, résumé, letters of recommendation from colleagues in the field, publications, and other sources.
• Personal passion and interest in honing leadership skills and engaging others to achieve conservation results.
• Demonstration of leadership talent through involvement in community and volunteer activities, the workplace, local, state, and national government, and other areas.
• Ability to articulate a clear vision for a Conservation Action Project that achieves the goals of TogetherGreen.
• Understanding of the complexity of conservation and a willingness to work across disciplines to achieve results, reach new audiences, think creatively, and measure success.

The first round of applicants will be contacted for a telephone interview. Finalists may be invited to an in-person interview, conducted by members of the selection committee and Audubon staff.

Applicants will be notified of the status of their application on or before August 31, 2008.

Applications were due June 27, 2008.
Check back for next year's application deadline.

Each TogetherGreen Fellow will be asked to:

• Take part in the full 16-month fellowship and maintain an active presence in the TogetherGreen Alumni network after completion of fellowship.
• Attend a five-day Conservation Leadership Institute (October 26 to 31, 2008) and a follow-up three-day Retreat (summer 2009). All Institute and Retreat travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the program.
• Complete and evaluate a Conservation Action Project in his/her community or region focused on habitat, water, energy, and engaging diverse audiences in conservation. (For more about conservation goals, click here.)
• Host seminars, workshops, or other events with a goal of reaching at least 100 people.
• Submit an approved budget for the $10,000 grant. Fellows will receive guidance during the October 2008 Leadership Institute on program budgeting and evaluation.
• Serve as a program spokesperson and conservation role model for the TogetherGreen program.
• Actively participate in evaluation activities implemented by the external evaluation team.
• Sign a waiver authorizing a background check.
• Sign a photo release form.
• Sign a grant agreement.

fellows@togethergreen.org, or contact Anne Ferguson at 202-861-2242, extension 3046.