The park institute of america is proud to offer its inaugural

Resilient Landscapes Fellowship

Fellowship Summary

Beginning in 2026, our Resilient Landscapes Fellow assists in connecting researchers, managers, and communities along the coast of North Carolina and the broader Southeast region to show the importance of conservation and resiliency.

Location - HYBRID in Durham, NC

Duration - 12 weeks with flexible May start date; 40 hours per week

Compensation - $7,000 stipend

Description of Work

Fellows support a variety of projects related to coastal resilience in North Carolina, including research coordination, stakeholder outreach, event and meeting logistics, communications, and the development of educational and promotional materials. Projects may involve collaborating with researchers, resource managers, policymakers, nonprofits, and community partners to advance coastal adaptation, conservation, and resilience initiatives.

Core Responsibilities - Assist in supporting Park Institute of America’s mission to show the importance of parks and protected areas, especially along North Carolina’s coast.

Research Areas - Fellows may explore topics including:

• Climate resilience

• North Carolina policy

• Environmental justice

• Coastal resilience

• Indigenous land use priorities

• Heritage resources and equitable access

Potential Project Outputs - Depending on fellows’ interests and skills, project deliverables may include:

• StoryMaps and multimedia storytelling

• Infographics and scientific illustration

• Cartographic maps

• Independent research

• Workshops and symposia

• Community-engaged work

Current Projects

Description of Study

This year, our fellow is helping plan and execute the 2026 Coastal Resiliency Symposium by identifying and contacting North Carolina coastal professionals, researchers, policymakers, and resource managers, coordinating schedules and logistics, and creating promotional materials to support outreach and engagement.

Concurrent with the execution of work tasks, all fellows associated with the Park Institute of America will receive weekly cohort training on NPCA’s approach to conservation data management. The purpose of this instructional program is to:

• Expand fellows’ science communications skillset

• Foster cohesion, collaboration, and information sharing among cohort fellows

• Ensure consistency of data management practices

  
  

Syllabus - Each week’s instruction will cover a distinct conservation science topic including:

• Large Landscape Conservation and Consulting Regional Conservation Staff

• Sourcing High Quality Data

• Building a Database in ArcGIS Online and Metadata

• Configuring a Web Application in ArcGIS Online

• Landscape Indicators

• Science Communication

• Science for Policy

• Presenting Your Results to Regions

• Science Careers

Skills Required

Applicants must demonstrate strong research, visual communications, and writing skills. Applicants should have a strong understanding or interest in environmental justice, large landscape conservation, and protected area management principles. The ideal candidate will be self-directed, motivated, and willing to take initiative.

The fellowship will be most fulfilling for applicants interested in learning about the inner workings of small nonprofit organizations. Because the Institute’s goal is to make research consumable and accessible to all audiences, experience creating visualizations and figures in professional graphics suites like Adobe preferred. Basic geospatial mapping proficiency and cartographic skills in ESRI Arc products is desirable, and associated coding (R or Python) is preferred.

Application Details

Eligibility - This fellowship is offered exclusively to MEM or MF students enrolled in Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment who will continue to pursue their full-time studies in Fall 2026.

Applications now closed.