Aspiring Conservation ProfessionalsWork Group
Welcome!
The Aspiring Conservation Professionals (ACP) Work Group is centered around our audience – emerging conservation professionals. Just as wildlife management, climate change action, and environmental justice are vital to the sustainable future of our state, so too is ensuring that there will be a connected, diverse, and passionate next generation of professionals to carry the torch.
Register for the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Conservation Retreat:
Bringing Students and Professionals Together
Wed. January 3rd - Fri. January 5th, 2024
5400 North Black Oak Lake Road, Land O Lakes, WI 54540
This gathering is tailored for students in Wisconsin who are passionate about engaging in professional conversations surrounding conservation initiatives and gaining insights into environmental education and communication strategies.
The event will feature a dedicated networking session for professionals, along with a chance to earn certification in environmental education interpretation techniques from the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE). Attendees can participate in discussions on climate change resiliency, nature interpretation, and identification adventures. Depending on the weather, activities such as snowshoeing (rentals available) and cross-country skiing (bring your own) may be included. Here is a slideshow with more details.
Bring your own sleeping bag, pillow and towel.
$100 for 2 nights of lodging and meals, $75 for 1 night of lodging and meals (donations are welcome).
Deadline to sign up: Dec 20th, 2023.
Job Resources
We want to connect emerging professionals to job opportunities across Wisconsin!
First, enter your email address in this box to be added to our job announcement list. New job opportunities are often passed around by word-of-mouth, sometimes without being posted online. We’ll email you 1-3 times each month to alert you to these openings so you can take advantage of WGF’s broad professional network.
Second, check out our job search guide below to help you find handy info sources and good places to monitor for new opportunities. We update the guide as we find new resources or broken links, so check back occasionally for the latest version.
ProfessionalConnections
We want to create a program that benefits students and young professionals by connecting them with senior WGF members. The main outcome we seek is that students and young professionals are better equipped for their chosen career paths. Ideally, senior members are also better equipped to fulfill WGF's mission by learning from younger perspectives. A variety of program structures could achieve these outcomes, and the best structure depends on you!
Our own work group member Shyanne Eustace connected with WGF member Clayton Russell back in 2019 (pictured to the left), and they have both benefited from their experience as mentor-mentee. Click here to read their article Membership Mutualism.
Interested in connecting with a mentor? Click the link below to complete a 5-minute survey designed to gauge interest and guide the building of the program.
Conservation Connections
The ACP Work Group has curated a bi-annual newsletter, Conservation Connections. This newsletter highlights important conservation work across Wisconsin, recent work by WGF and WGF members, and job opportunities and resources in Wisconsin and beyond.
Check out our issue archive:
Fall 2022
Spring 2022
Fall 2021
Spring 2021
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JoinUs
If you are a student working towards a degree or diploma, Wisconsin's Green Fire offers a free student membership! WGF also offers individual and family memberships for non-students. Click below to learn more and sign up for a membership today!
WGF's student chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point began in the fall of 2022, led by WGF student members at UWSP. The student chapter meets monthly to discuss WGF's work across Wisconsin, learn from guest speakers, and connect members with the larger WGF community.
The student chapter meets the first Wednesday of every month, 5:00 - 6:00PM.
Stay Connected with the Student Chapter!
Instagram: @greenfireuwsp
Email: wigreenfire@uwsp.edu
