A leadership program for youth exploring conservation
Conservation Science Intensive (CSI) is a summer leadership program including one week of on-site intensive in West Marin. The program is designed to mentor, educate and empower youth approaching college, to find their passion in the conservation field.
This program brings together young people who already carry a spark for the Earth and are ready to explore what it could become. These emerging youth leaders — each with their own stories, curiosities, and wisdom to share — work throughout the summer with mentors and conservation professionals. The program offers a wide spectrum of hands-on experiences that help students notice where their passion lands, what feels alive in them, and which pathways feel like they could truly be theirs.
Many students arrive because they’re searching for a foothold in the conservation field. What they often speak about afterward is something deeper: the sense of community that forms when people learn, work, and imagine together. They leave with a network of peers and mentors who will walk with them as they step toward college and whatever comes next.
Gaining skills to tell the stories that matter
In addition to the week-long, in-person immersion, participants will learn foundational Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills—a widely used tool in conservation for visualizing spatial data, creating maps, and telling stories rooted in place. With guidance from experts in the field, students will work in small groups to explore a conservation project, weaving their observations, questions, and insights into a collaborative GIS StoryMap.
The program culminates in a virtual gathering in August, where students share their StoryMaps with one another, closing the season in community, creativity, and celebration.
See how Maryam’s StoryMap is helping a community decide between grass or turf soccer fields
Who:
Conservation Science Intensive centers on serving those who identify as a girl or young woman, as well as those who transcend the dominant gender binary narrative (i.e., non-binary).
Our team is committed to empowering and being inclusive of Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQA+ individuals, and the intersections of these communities. Individuals that identify with these communities are highly encouraged to apply.
We do not look for the most experienced candidates, but rather the candidates who could get the most out of this experience. Do not let concerns about prior experience keep you from applying.
This program is for you if:
— You are curious about conservation and its varied pathways
— You are passionate about fostering diverse and inclusive environments
— You are committed to positively impacting your communities
— You are interested in building a support network and developing leadership skills
— You are drawn to participating in outdoor adventures (no experience required).
*Applicants must:
- Be a resident of California
- Entering junior/senior year of high school or freshman year of college in Fall 2026
- Be dropped off and picked up by a parent or guardian. We do not allow participants to drive themselves.
- Have a designated and trusted local emergency contact within a four-hour drive of Stinson Beach, CA. This individual must be in phone service, and available for the entire program’s duration. They need to be ready to answer calls and available to pick up the student in case of illness, injury, or emergency.
What to expect:
We encourage applicants to note this program requires basic participation commitments. This includes, full participation in zoom meetings prior to the week’s intensive, as well as upholding your commitment to contributing to your collaborative project and attending the final zoom presentations. Please make sure these dates are held firmly on your calendar.
- Priority Application Deadline: February 17, 5 PM (PST)
- Required Group Interview (Zoom) – If accepted you would sign up for one of the following time slots for group interviews,
- Friday, March 6, 4—6 PM (PST)
- Saturday March 7, 9—10 AM (PST)
- Saturday March 7, 10:30 – 11:30 AM (PST)
- Introductory Zoom Session: Friday, May 29, 4–6 PM (PST)
- In-person: June 22–26, 2026 (five days / four nights)
- Small Group Project time (July 6 – August 18; 8 -12hr/month)
- Project Presentations (Zoom): Wednesday, August 19, 4–6 PM (PST)
The in-person week will include waking up early, spending extended amounts of time outside in sun/rain conditions, walking 4–5 miles throughout the day on slippery terrain (e.g., creeks, mudflats), kayaking, sitting on the ground, carrying a backpack with necessary supplies (e.g., journal, water, lunch), and riding in a van on curvy roads. Do not let these commitments deter you from applying; please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Where:
The 2026 program is based at the Martin Griffin Preserve in Stinson Beach, CA and nearby natural spaces of West Marin, Mount Tam and Tomales Bay. This 1,000-acre nature preserve has overnight accommodations that includes a shared bunkhouse, and bathrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers. The program includes catering for the week of residence. Our staff works directly with the chef to curate a menu that accommodates allergies and dietary restrictions.
Cost:
$1,200 includes programming, rustic overnight accommodations, and catered food by an on-site chef for the week.
Cost should not be a deterrent for participation.
Applicants who are interested in requesting a fee waiver should indicate this in their application. This information will remain confidential to the program staff, potential participants, and their parents or guardians. Applicants will receive the requested fee waivers if they are accepted into the program. There is no additional application requirement.
Conservation Science Intensive is made possible by support from generous individuals, foundations, and businesses.
Apply:
Application due February 17, 2026, 5 p.m. Apply here >
Questions?
Contact program staff Andrea Salazar via email asalazar@allhandsecology.org
Past CSI participants had this to say:
“I really enjoyed what we learned — about kelp, about the CA giant salamanders — and also just learning about everyone’s genuine love for nature. Overall, I think that we created a support system through the program.”
“I felt so welcomed coming into the program.”
“This program has and continues to change my life and empower me to aspire to new things while in tandem being my truest and most authentic self. As a peer mentor, I am inspired by the passion ignited in our youth when they step outside. It is truly magical to witness, and I am forever grateful for these experiences.”
“I would say this program provides the most incredible opportunity for young scientists. The world of science can be very scary, and it is so difficult to find resources and mentors to help guide us. This whole program is such an invaluable asset to the people it impacts. I hope this program can continue for a long, long time.”
