The Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship is available to qualified graduate students. It is created in honor of Gloria Barron, dedicated educator and tireless advocate for wilderness protection, and administered by The Wilderness Society, a leading conservation organization based in Washington, D.C. The scholarship amount varies from year to year.  Historically, we’ve awarded $10,000 to graduate students to support their research and preparation of a paper on an aspect of wilderness.  We strongly encourage proposals relating to climate change, as well as other topics regarding wilderness conservation.

Additional funding will be provided to pay travel expenses for the recipient to work with staff members of The Wilderness Society on this project. The Wilderness Society wishes to encourage the publication of this work in an academic journal or other appropriate medium and has additional funds to help cover expenses of publishing and publicizing the final paper.The scholarship seeks to encourage individuals who have the potential to make a significant positive difference in the long term protection of wilderness in the United States. In the past, individuals like Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson have made that kind of lasting difference. They possessed all the skills needed to excel in their respective professions, but they also possessed something more: the courage and the vision to think afresh about how and why to protect our wild lands and the ability to communicate those ideas effectively to others.

Graduate students meeting the eligibility requirements noted below may apply directly to The Wilderness Society. If you are an applicant, please make sure you meet all of the scholarship eligibility requirements and follow the application procedures below.Applicants for the Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship must:

-be enrolled in an accredited graduate institution in North America;
-have strong academic qualifications;
– have academic and/or career goals focused on making a significant positive difference in the long-term protection of wilderness in the United States. Graduate students in natural resources management, law or policy programs are strongly encouraged to apply.

Scholarship Application Deadline: March 31, 2011