Kupu calls for conservation program applicants
Kupu, a Hawaii-based conservation and environmental education nonprofit, is seeking applications for the Conservation Leadership Development Program. Recent high school graduates, college graduates and young professionals looking to establish a career in conservation are strongly encouraged to apply by Sept. 8. CLDP focuses on developing the next generation of environmental stewards. The next full-term cohort begins this October and ends in September 2024. Participants will be matched with a conservation host site for the program, where they will learn and serve alongside conservation experts. This extensive network of partner sites offers exposure to the fields of ornithology, botany, natural and aquatic resource management, biology, marine biology, Hawaiian cultural studies and more.
CLDP host sites on the Big Island include:
• Na Ala Hele Trails and Napu‘u Conservation Project at Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Forest;
• Keauhou Bird Conservation Center;
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park;
• Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge;
• Outreach regarding Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death.
CLDP participants for this term will receive a monthly living allowance of $2,560, earning a compensation package valued up to $36,000, plus health insurance. Upon completion of the service term, participants will receive an education award of $6,495 and have access to the Kupu Pathways program, which offers a kick-start to college (no transcripts needed) through Arizona State University. GlenAllen Beavers served on Hawaii Island with the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project.
“I gained friendships that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” he said in a press release. “Working in conservation has allowed me to meet many like-minded people. There is so much knowledge out there if you stay receptive to it. Nature has been a great teacher for me.”
For more info and to apply, visit www.kupuhawaii.org/conservation/. For questions, contact conservation@kupuhawaii.org or call (808) 735.1221, extension 2002.
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