the fellowship is the pipeline.
The Women's Conservation Forum fellowship embeds rising women leaders within the country's most respected conservation policy institutions, providing hands-on, cross-sector experience across a single program year.
The Women's Conservation Forum launched the DC Women in Conservation Fellowship in 2025. Throughout the program, each fellow rotates through three host organizations, gaining hands-on exposure to different areas of conservation policy and practice. Fellows receive housing, mentorship, and a direct connection to the broader Women's Conservation Forum network.
HOW IT WORKS
meet our inaugural Fellow
Dr. Lillian Dinkins is the first DC Women in Conservation Policy Fellow, with a passion for community-centered conservation and urban forestry. Through her fellowship rotations with the Trust for Public Land, the National Audubon Society, and the American Forest Foundation, she has gained hands-on experience in policy initiatives and partnership building across parks, schoolyards, trails, and community forests.
Dr. Dinkins holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida, where her research focused on how organizations expand urban tree canopy to build more resilient, inclusive communities. A proud Tuskegee University alumna, she has been recognized as a National Diversity Scholar by the Society of American Foresters and received the 2024 Young and Emerging Professionals Award from the Urban and Community Forestry Society.
Beyond research and policy, Dr. Dinkins is passionate about connecting people and nature through tree giveaways, nonprofit partnerships, and community outreach — helping cities grow greener, one neighborhood at a time.
Dr. Lillian Dinkins
what’s ahead
Women’s Conservation Forum aims to expand fellowship placements, deepen host partnerships, and cultivate an alumni network of women stepping into leadership roles across the field. Expanding our reach will create a lasting impact on the future of conservation leadership.