Climate Resilient Stewardship Fellow

The Colorado Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC CO) is excited to continue the Colorado Conservation Fellowship Program focused on elevating and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders who represent the variety of backgrounds, experiences, and priorities in Colorado. This Fellowship has two main components: advancing TNC’s ambitious conservation goals focused on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss through hands-on projects, and supporting Fellows’ career growth through networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.

The Colorado Conservation Fellowship, in partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), is a 2-year, full-time (35 hours per week) program, starting in September 2026. This role is ideal for early-career candidates interested in conservation, community engagement, stewardship, and meaningful relationship building. This program aims to foster an environment where people from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives feel welcomed and valued.

About the role

This Fellow will support TNC Colorado’s stewardship team by contributing to climate-informed management planning and project coordination across preserves in Colorado. The Fellow will assist with development of preserve management plans or plan components, research and synthesize climate and ecological information, and help translate that information into actionable management strategies. The Fellow will also provide project management support for preserve stewardship planning efforts. This role will focus on applied conservation, climate adaptation, and management of protected lands.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and updating of land management plans for TNC preserves in Colorado, with a focus on climate resilience.
• Gather and synthesize existing information, including past plans, scientific literature, and internal resources, to inform management decisions.
• Assist with drafting new plans, revising existing plans, and preparing related materials by writing plan sections, organizing reference information, and helping ensure clarity and consistency.
• Research and contribute to vulnerability assessments of key conservation values.
• Support coordination and review of draft plans to help meet project timelines and receive training in project management practices.
• Assist with short-term stewardship projects involving interns or volunteers.
• Include both office-based work and time in the field, supporting monitoring efforts and observing on-the-ground conditions.
• Work closely with stewardship staff and partners to support collaborative conservation planning.
• Participate in networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities designed to support career growth and expand skills within the conservation field.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, natural resources management, or related field and 1-year related work experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite.
• Experience coordinating multiple projects.
• Experience handling standard business communications.
• Ability to travel locally.
• Valid driver’s license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program.
• Proficiency in English, including the ability to read, write, communicate, and perform job functions in English.

Desired Qualifications

• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Interest in or experience with climate adaptation, resilience planning, or applied conservation strategies.
• Ability to analyze information for the purpose of preparing reports, coordinating activities, and solving problems.
• Ability to apply research skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, with assignments sometimes coming from multiple sources while working independently.
• Ability to coordinate project information from a number of sources to populate databases, create reports, and produce manual files.
• Experience utilizing databases for data entry and report production preferred.
• Strong administrative skills including attention to detail and numerical ability.
• Ability to plan, administer, and record results of work-team meetings and activities.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $29–$30 per hour for candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on factors such as the candidate’s location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience.

Schedule

This is a 2-year, full-time (35 hours per week) program, starting in September 2026.