Land Trust Alliance and The Nature Conservancy in Oregon place new scholar in conservation leadership program

Washington, D.C. — The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America, and The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, today announced the placement of our latest Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program Fellow, Yaseen Ginnab.

The Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program is a career and leadership development program launched by the Land Trust Alliance and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry. The program aims to expand opportunities for students to pursue careers in natural resource management and conservation.

Each year, the program brings together undergraduate college students from across the country for a professional development experience in conjunction with Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference. One scholar is then selected to participate in a paid, year-long fellowship with a land trust to gain on-the-job experience following graduation. This year’s fellow, Yaseen Ginnab, graduated with degrees in biology and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University.

“This fellowship is an opportunity to gain experience outside of academia before grad school and develop some working skills that I wouldn’t have gained in an academic environment,” said Yaseen Ginnab. “During my fellowship, I’m also hoping to learn about career opportunities in conservation outside of academia and contribute to making real and quantitative differences through research and stewardship. I would say I’m most excited for the opportunity to manage Camassia Nature Preserve in West Lin, Ore. It’s a beautiful area with unique habitats, so I’m excited to see how much I can help this area recover.”

"Yaseen has demonstrated exceptional intelligence, empathy and drive. I am fortunate to have observed his remarkable transformation into the accomplished young professional he is today,” said Ajiah Zywicki, Community-Centered Conservation program manager for the Land Trust Alliance. “The Nature Conservancy in Oregon has warmly embraced Yaseen, and he has consistently seized every opportunity to enhance his professional and academic knowledge. We’re all eager to watch him grow and witness all that he achieves by the conclusion of his fellowship."

During his time at Middle Tennessee State University, Ginnab assisted in multiple research projects and conducted two independent project internships: the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program and the Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink program. For his Fulbright, Ginnab spent three months in Nova Scotia researching the fruiting patterns of the red-belted polypore, an essential fungus that decays dead wood in forests. Yaseen also spent his final collegiate summer on Lake Michigan, researching whether the lake’s bacterial communities can degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, complex molecules found in crude oil.

“We are honored and grateful that Yaseen selected The Nature Conservancy in Oregon as host for his one-year fellowship and excited to partner with the Land Trust Alliance and USDA on this impactful program,” said Derek Johnson, Oregon state director at The Nature Conservancy. “Although early in the year, it is clear that Yaseen is bringing curiosity, talent and new perspective to his role supporting our stewardship, community engagement and science teams. We are greatly looking forward to a year of growth and learning with Yaseen.”

“By recruiting diverse talent and welcoming new voices and perspectives, we can better serve all Americans and meet the challenges and opportunities facing the Nation’s forests,” said Jaelith Hall-Rivera, Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry of the USDA Forest Service.

About the Land Trust Alliance

Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by empowering and mobilizing land trusts in communities across America to conserve land for the benefit of all. The Alliance represents approximately 1,000 member land trusts and affiliates supported by more than 250,000 volunteers and 6.3 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., with staff working in communities across the U.S.

About The Nature Conservancy in Oregon

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends, and for nearly 60 years, we’ve been working in Oregon to do just that. We’re bringing people together to solve the biggest conservation challenges of our time by transforming policy, inspiring communities to take action, protecting vital habitats and natural resources and improving livelihoods. For more information, please visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/oregon/.

About the USDA Forest Service

The mission of the USDA Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests, grasslands and watersheds to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, assists state and private landowners, and maintains world-renowned forestry research and wildland fire management organizations. The Cooperative Forestry unit of the USDA Forest Service works closely with partners to enhance and maintain forests across watersheds and ecosystems, both on private and public land and delivers its work through states, local governments, other federal agencies, non-profit organizations and other partners, leveraging additional resources and fueling innovation.