58³Ô¹Ï, in partnership with the Conservation Foundation, is delighted to announce that three currently enrolled MSc students have been chosen to receive the Young Conservation Leaders Award. The awards support candidates with a demonstrable track-record of local innovation in conservation. These awards are designed to support short research projects, field studies or work experience and have been established to enable more young people to take up learning and development opportunities irrespective of their financial circumstances.
The Conservation Foundation recognises the significant financial commitments that students face and expressed a strong desire to support current and future conservation leaders with their postgraduate studies, in recognition of these challenges.
Dr James Walmsley, senior lecturer in forestry said, "Following an internal application and selection process, we’re delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025-26 Young Conservation Leaders Award, each of whom will receive a £1,000 bursary, kindly donated by The Conservation Foundation. I’ve no doubt that this award will make a huge difference to the three awardees and give a huge boost to their self-belief and motivation. This new partnership with the Conservation Foundation is yet further recognition of the transformative nature of our MSc programmes."
David Shreeve, Director at the Conservation Foundation said: "When I read the submissions, I was really impressed with what these three students had already achieved. Hopefully, the Young Conservation Leaders Awards will help them do even more great things."
I am delighted and very grateful to be a recipient of this award and am very excited to get started on our various conservation projects at Coed Llynnonn, in Llanfair PG (Anglesey), working alongside Calon-y-Coed CIC. In partnership with our community of Forest Schoolers and woodland users - we plan to identify and undertake various positive habitat interventions and will begin by exploring options for resuscitating our large but now empty pond aswell as identifying other appropriate habitat interventions such as dead hedging and bat/bird boxes. As a community, we are dedicated to helping connect people to the woods and look forward to welcoming volunteers to join us in these special woodlands.
Jacob Main, MSc Agroforestry and Food Security
When I found out that I had been chosen for this award, I was filled with both joy and excitement. It felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders, because this award will not only enable me to focus more on my studies and also allow me to follow opportunities that otherwise I could not. I am feeling both very chuffed and very grateful. Thank you, Conservation Foundation!
Will Tanner, MSc Forestry by distance learning
It's amazing to win the Young Conservation Leaders Award. I have so many ideas I would like to explore, and this grant will help support me in this. I would like to thank everyone at the Conservation Foundation, as well as the staff at 58³Ô¹Ï for making this happen. This will push me to keep learning as I pursue my career in conservation.
Joel Foreman, MSc Environmental Forestry by distance learning