The Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District (NNSWCD) is accepting applications for three $1,000 scholarships offered to students enrolling in a fulltime college program of study in natural resources or conservation/environmental studies in fall, 2021. Students who permanently reside in Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland counties are eligible to apply.
Kathleen Watson, the NNSWCD’s education/outreach specialist encourages local students with interest in these conservation related fields to apply. As an educator, she says that many students she meets during classroom sessions (virtually this year) appreciate nature and understand the importance of conservation efforts. “Some students give me the impression that growing up in the Northern Neck fosters a certain understanding and respect for the land and the way of life in this area where many people make a living off of the land or the water that surrounds us,” she said. Watson has seen students take their appreciation of natural resources and turn it into aspirations to study more about them. “I hope that any graduating senior or first year college student from the Northern Neck who is considering a program of study in conservation, natural resources/environmental studies will apply for these funds,” she added.
The two locally funded scholarships are:
- The J.C. Berger Conservation Advancement Award ($1,000) for graduating seniors or students beginning a fulltime college curriculum in natural resources or environmental studies (a gap year student for example).
- The James Edward Minor Ag Stewardship Award ($1,000) for full time undergraduate students enrolled in a fulltime college curriculum in natural resources or environmental studies. (Previous recipients of NNSWCD scholarships who are eligible to apply are invited to do so.)
The third scholarship option is funded by The Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Education Foundation, which offers four $1,000 scholarships to conservation/natural resources students statewide. Applications for all three of these scholarships can be found on the NNSWCD website at http://nnswcd.org/scholarships/index.html . All three applications come with specific instructions regarding submission. The deadline to apply for all three of these awards is April 1, 2021 by 4:30 pm.
For more details, contact Kathleen Watson at kathleen.watson@nnswcd.org or 804.313-9102 x105.