Scholars to Learn Virtually
The accredited Conservation Florida and the Land Trust Alliance announced in August the placement of Lillian Dinkins and Papa Gueye, two fellows of the Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program (SCLP).
SCLP is a career and leadership development program launched by the Alliance and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry. The program aims to expand opportunities for students to pursue careers in natural resource management and conservation, with an emphasis on reaching students of underrepresented and minority backgrounds in these sectors.
Dinkins, who graduated with a degree in environmental science from Tuskegee University in Alabama, and Gueye, who graduated with a degree in agronomy from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, began their paid, yearlong fellowship at Conservation Florida on August 3.
“I’m beyond excited for this upcoming year with Conservation Florida,” Dinkins said. “The state has really unique wildlife and ecosystems that I’ll be able to learn about as well as help protect. I’m especially excited to help with educational programming.”
“I am honored to be selected to complete a prestigious yearlong fellowship with Conservation Florida,” Gueye said. “I’m very grateful for this amazing opportunity, which would not have been possible without the support and mentorship of my family and friends.” He told Forbes.com, “It’s a good thing that people, young people, see Black people in this field. Maybe they can think they can actually do it, too.”
Through these fellowships, Conservation Florida becomes the first land trust in the nation to host SCLP fellows. Dinkins and Gueye chose to pursue their fellowships at Conservation Florida because of the organization’s ability to provide them with particularly relevant on-the-job training while enabling them to work remotely. Both fellows will be based in Orlando.
“We’re thrilled to have two bright, passionate conservationists joining our team as they b
egin their careers,” said Traci Deen, executive director and CEO of Conservation Florida. “It’s an honor to host Lillian and Papa and partner with the Land Trust Alliance and USDA Forest Service on this timely and important program.”
The 2019 pilot program brought together 10 undergraduate college students from across the country in October 2019 for a one-day professional development experience followed by attendance at Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference held in Raleigh, North Carolina. While at Rally, the largest national convening of conservation professionals in the country, students heard from leaders in conservation and natural resource management, connected with young professionals and gained skills in support of their career development. Out of the initial cohort, two students were selected to participate in a paid, yearlong fellowship at a land trust to gain on-the-job experience.
All of us at the Land Trust Alliance are gratified to see so much come of this program,” said Andrew Bowman, president and CEO of the Alliance. “Through this opportunity, accomplished students from across the country are gaining valuable practical experiences with land trusts and building the professional networks they need to advance their careers.”
Photo one: Photo of the Conservation Florida team / Courtesy of Conservation Florida
Photo two: Lillian Dinkins / Courtesy of Conservation Florida
Photo three: Papa Gueye / Courtesy of Conservation Florida