WWF CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP AWARD

Recognizing young leaders in the environmental space

The WWF-US Conservation Leadership Award celebrates the achievements of exceptional young people working toward conservation solutions in the United States. It seeks to inspire other young people to get involved in opportunities within their communities.

At WWF, we celebrate the leadership of people from populations that are underrepresented in the conservation field and often marginalized in the broader society. We strongly encourage leaders from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and veterans, to apply for the award.

ELIGIBILITY

APPLY HERE

MEET THE WINNERS

Tile Card Module

Maka Monture Päki, 2019

view Maka's profile

A photo of Alexa standing in front of the New York City skyline. Alexa is a Black woman wearing a blue formal dress. She is smiling for the camera.

View alexa's profile

A picture of Jasmin holding a small shark she captured for measurement. Jasmin is a Black woman wearing a blue T-shirt and white sunglasses. She is smiling. Behind her are mangrove trees.

Jasmin Graham, 2021

view jasmin's profile

Indigenous activist, poet, storyteller, and climate advocate

Alexa White, 2020

Agroecologist, food sovereignty advocate

Shark scientist, educator, social justice activist

An image of Maka Monture Paki speaking at a podium and smiling at the audience. She is wearing a golden-hued dress with red and black patterns.

hover for more info

Maka Monture Päki

Maka Monture Päki heads to the UN

MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Indigenous leaders on environmental justice

WEBINAR

makamonture

Maka (she/her) is an Indigenous author, campaigner, scholar, storyteller, poet, and ceremonial performer from southeast Alaska. Of Tlingit (Łingit), Mohawk, Filipina, and Canadian Kanien'kehá:ka decent, she was born in Anchorage and is from Yakutat, of the Raven moiety, Copper River Clan, House of the Owl. Her Tlingit name is Keixé Yaxtí meaning “Morning Star.” Maka resides in Anchorage, Alaska, where she dedicates her personal and professional time to environmental and social advocacy on behalf of Indigenous and non-indigenous youth and women.

Maka Monture Päki

hover for more info

Alexa White

alitebrand

Alexa (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. An agroecologist and herpetologist, her dissertation research focuses on biophysical indicators of sustainable agriculture and international climate governance pertaining to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #2: To End Hunger. Alexa is the Co-Founder of the AYA Research Institute, an environmental justice non-profit. She is also a Policy Entrepreneurship Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists and an Agent of Change in Environmental Justice fellow.

Alexa White

Introducing alexa white

WEBINAR

meet alexa white

ARTICLE

A photo of Alexa White in nature. Alexa is a Black woman with long hair. She is looking at something on her sleeve and smiling. All around her a green branches.

connecting the dots between biodiversity, food, and climate

MAGAZINE ARTICLE

how food impacts the planet

WEBINAR

alitebrand

A photo of Jasmin, a Black woman wearing a dark blue dress. She is sitting on a white bench and smiling for the camera. Behind her is green vegetation.

hover for more info

Jasmin Graham

MISS_elasmo

Elasmo_Gal

Jasmin (she/her) is a shark scientist and environmental educator who specializes in shark and ray ecology and evolution. Her research interests include smalltooth sawfish movement ecology and hammerhead shark phylogeny. Jasmin is the President and CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization dedicated to supporting women of color in shark sciences. She is excited to help open doors for more underrepresented minority students to join the exciting field of marine science. Her work encompasses the areas of science communication, social justice, outreach, education and conservation.

Jasmin Graham

Introducing JASMIN GRAHAM

WEBINAR

meet Jasmin Graham

ARTICLE

bizarre sharks and rays

WEBINAR FOR KIDS

instagram takeover

MISS website

Must be a US resident

Must be between 18-30 years old as of September 1, 2022

WWF network current or former staff members or their immediate family are not eligible to apply

This award recognizes and celebrates youth leaders in their community who are making outstanding contributions for the environment—leading initiatives across issues including climate change mitigation, environmental justice, biodiversity, wildlife conservation, food waste, habitat protection, and more.

Are you leading a community that adds exceptional value to the movement to protect our planet? Does your project create new avenues for the fight against threats like climate change and biodiversity loss? You could be awarded $5,000 which can be used to help fund your academic and/or professional development related to your conservation work.

A person in a full diving suit underwater. They are holding a waterproof clipboard and pointing to coral on the sea floor with a pen.

Four people speak to each other as they walk through the courtyard in front of the Capitol building. The dome of the Capitol building stands behind them.

Federal, state and local government employees are not eligible to apply

The application is now closed for 2022.