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Fellowships At Audubon

How we're helping to create the conservation movement of the future

The Audubon fellowship initiative is tangible proof of Audubon’s commitment to the future of the conservation movement and to developing the next generation of leaders. This initiative deploys highly trained early-career people on the front lines of Audubon’s mission to save birds and the places they need today and tomorrow.

Audubon fellows are leaders-in-training in the disciplines of environmental communications, conservation education, field organizing, field biology, public policy, geospatial information systems, and much more. The 2018 class of Audubon fellows is based in New York, New York; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Dallas, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; Seattle, Washington; Middlebury, Vermont; and Atlanta, Georgia. To apply for an Audubon fellowship, check our careers page.

Dangermond Fellowship
2016 to present

Dangermond fellows are being trained for leadership roles in conservation science, public policy, and digital mapping careers. They build tools that empower scientists and policy experts to advocate for solutions that meet human needs and protect birds and habitat at the same time. The Dangermond fellows improve their technical and storytelling abilities with the support and guidance of mentors, leadership, and resources at both Esri and Audubon.

Fund II Apprenticeship
2018 to present

The Fund II Foundation Apprenticeship Program at Audubon is a year-long, full-time apprenticeship for diverse young leaders entering the conservation field. Apprentices will receive on-the-job training and gain opportunities for professional development. Apprentices will be placed in the following departments across the Audubon Network: Communications, Marketing, Policy, Grassroots Capacity, and Community Engagement. The Fund II Apprenticeship program supports Audubon's vision to create a more diverse and inclusive conservation movement. 

Herz International Seabird Fellowship 
2014 to present

The Josephine D. Herz Seabird Fellowship Fund will provide travel and living expenses for resource managers to attend Audubon's Seabird Management Internship at the Society's Maine Coastal Island Sanctuaries during the period of late May to mid-August. Recipients of the Josephine D. Herz Fellowship will begin their internship at Audubon's Hog Island Environmental Education Center (Bremen, Maine USA ) in late May where they will take part in an intensive two-day orientation program with approximately twenty summer interns actively managing seabird nesting islands throughout the Gulf of Maine. Instructors for the training program include biologists from Audubon's SRP and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as faculty from cooperating universities including the University of Maine and University of New Brunswick.

Learn more about the Herz International Seabird Fellowship and apply, please visit this page at Audubon's Seabird Institute.

Mackenzie Fellowship
2018 to present

The Mackenzie Fellowship, launched in 2018, is Audubon’s newest fellows program. This program focuses on using nature to build leadership skills to connect kids from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to conservation. The fellows are based in Audubon nature centers in Arizona and Texas and are being trained in Audubon conservation education methods that provide life-changing outdoor experiences to high school students. At its completion in 2020, Audubon will have launched ten new Mackenzie leaders, each prepared and inspired to pursue a career in conservation and outdoor education.

Schneider Fellowship
2015 to present

The Schneider Fellowship supports students working to advance climate and clean energy policy at the state and national level. Because climate solutions are complex and far-reaching, fellows have the opportunity to work with departments across the organization. Past fellows have worked to advance legislative priorities with the federal and California policy teams, develop communications materials around Audubon’s climate science, and support responsible renewable energy siting with Audubon’s Clean Energy Initiative. The fellowship is run through the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University.

Walker Communications Fellowship
2016 to present

The Walker Communication Fellows program is an innovative vehicle for Audubon to learn how to elevate young voices to cultivate a more diverse, urban constituency. The project offers  fellows leadership training and opportunities, while Audubon learns from them how to connect better with them and their peers. Using social media and other digital assets, the fellows engage audiences with diverse perspectives and backgrounds through campaigns and stories. Their stories focus on topics such as how personal action leads to collective action and how environmental justice is everyone’s concern. With the help of these fellows and their insights, we believe Audubon can play a leading role in building a conservation movement that is relevant, inclusive, and user-driven.

Current Audubon Fellows & Apprentices

Gray McKenna

Dangermond Fellow

Sam Olivares-Mejia

Dangermond Fellow

Alessandra Vidal Meza

Dangermond Fellow

Audubon Fellowship Alumni

Anna Belk

Dangermond Fellow

Annie Cebulski

Walker Communications Fellow

Ally Chamberlin

Walker Communications Fellow

Lana Cohen

Walker Social Media Fellow

Fernando Collada

Walker Visual Storytelling Fellow

Véronique Couttee

Véronique Couttee-Jenkins

Knowledge Transfer and Outreach Specialist

Christopher Escobedo

Schneider Policy Fellow

Elija Flores

GIS Technician

Diego Herrera

Walker Design Fellow

Keara Hudler

Mackenzie Fellow

Aqsa Junagadhwala

Dangermond Fellow

Avak Kahramanian

Senior Policy Analyst

Abigail Krump

Dangermond Fellow

Rachel Layko

Dangermond Fellow

Kawai Marin

Walker Communications Fellow

Mia McGehee

Mackenzie Fellow

Abigail Minor

Mackenzie Fellow

Mariah Neilsen

Dangermond Fellow

Khanh (Kay) Nguyen

Walker Communications Fellow

Clarissa Paz

Project Manager

Nancy Pineda-Gama

Mackenzie Fellow

Lauren Roberts

Mackenzie Fellow

Eileen Solange Rodriguez

Walker Communications Fellow

Tania Romero

Program Coordinator at Audubon Center at Debs Park

Gabrielle Saleh

Senior Coordinator of Social Media, National Audubon Society

Jose Santiago

Center Coordinator at the Discovery Center

Ray Sessley

Engagement Associate

Denaya Shorter

Trail Posse Fellow

Angela Song

Schneider Policy Fellow

Gabriella Sotelo

Walker Communications Fellow

Katherine Soto

Walker Visual Storytelling Fellow

Talia Stone

Mackenzie Fellow

Xulia Suero

Mackenzie Fellow

Louie Terrazas

Fund II Apprentice

Regina Thomas

Dangermond Fellow

Elizabeth Todd

Dangermond Fellow

Giselle Vandrick

Dangermond Fellow

Lauren Welch

Mackenzie Fellow

Alison Wenzel

Mackenzie Fellow

Mason Wiggins

Mackenzie Fellow

Fantasia Williams

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellow

Tiffany Wu

Dangermond Fellow

Monica Zhang

Dangermond Fellow

Erica Goldfinger

Dangermond Fellow

Eliza Kronenberger

Dangermond Fellow

Miranda McCall

Dangermond Fellow

A Selection of Our Fellows' Work
‘Let’s Go Birding Together’ Creates a Dedicated Space for LGBTQ Bird Lovers

It's more than a bird walk: It's an inclusive experience for anyone who wants to connect to birds, the natural world, and others in a positive way.

Videos By and About Our Fellows

 

The Amazing Owls. Video: Christine Lin/2017 AudubonWalker Fellow

 

The first round of 2018 Mackenzie Fellows at Audubon Arizona describe their experience with the program. Video: Mike Fernandez/Audubon

 

Preserving an Oasis: Audubon’s Constitution Marsh sanctuary. Video: Christina Lin/2017 Audubon Walker Fellow
 
Birds That Our Fellows Have Seen
American Robin
Thrushes
Red-tailed Hawk
Hawks and Eagles
Red-winged Blackbird
Blackbirds and Orioles
Black-crowned Night Heron
Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
! Priority Bird
Roseate Spoonbill
Ibises and Spoonbills
! Priority Bird
Snail Kite
Hawks and Eagles
Burrowing Owl
Owls
! Priority Bird
Bald Eagle
Hawks and Eagles
Blue Jay
Crows, Magpies, Jays
Black-billed Magpie
Crows, Magpies, Jays
Gray Catbird
Mockingbirds and Thrashers
Baltimore Oriole
Blackbirds and Orioles