Conservation Ambassador Program

Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Rachel Palmer

    Hello! My name is Rachel Palmer, and I’m super excited to be working as a Difference Maker Mentor for the 2025-2026 NRCA Conservation Ambassador Program (CAP). I was born and raised in central Maine. I am entering my junior year this fall, majoring in Natural Resources with a minor in Environmental Health and Safety.    […]

Introducing Graduate Mentor: Shanelle Thevarajah

Hi everyone!   My name is Shanelle Thevarajah and I am a second year Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut, and the Graduate Mentor for the NRCA Conservation Ambassador Program.   I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Science from the University of Guelph in 2019 with a focus on Zoology and Family/Child […]

Introducing Difference Maker Mentor: Tamara Parks

  Hey y’all!       My name is Tamara Parks, and I am currently serving as a Difference Maker Mentor for the 2024-2025 NRCA Conservation Ambassador Program. I am a first-generation undergraduate student from New Haven, CT, completing my second year at UConn and exploring my course of study through the ACES program (so, I […]

Meet our Graduate Mentor Ankit K Singh!

Hey there! My name is Ankit K Singh (he/him/his), and I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Natural Resources at the University of Connecticut.  I have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) for almost two years, working as a Graduate Mentor in the CAP and CTP programs.  I am most passionate about teaching […]

What is a “Better” Scientific Poster?

It’s mid-December and we’re already thinking ahead to March conference season. We try to help our NRCA participants that choose to present their conservation projects to be as prepared as possible. CAP students traditionally create posters that are presented during a special session of the Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources. CTP folks can present their […]

Conferences, Symposiums & Workshops, Oh My!

Last week was a busy one for me, as program coordinator for the Conservation Training Partnerships… with an all-day Advisory Board Meeting on Monday, the CT Urban Forest Council Conference Wednesday, and the CT Trails Symposium on Thursday. Despite the full schedule, I really enjoyed being able to network, meet new people, and discover new […]

Meet NRCA Alumna and UConn Undergraduate Amanda Hernandez

Why were you interested in participating in the NRCA? My brother participated in the NRCA experience before I did, every week he would get together with his friend and work on building a bat house. The project had given him a common goal to strive towards, he had become a scientist in my eyes. I […]

Meet NRCA Alumna and UConn Undergraduate Tianna Felder

  Hello everyone, my name is Tianna Felder and I am one the NRCA’s fall 2019 Difference Makers. A little bit about myself, I am currently a sophomore at UConn double majoring in business management, marketing with a minor in Spanish. I was a part of the 2015-2016 CAP program where I did a grazing […]

Fall Field Safety

Please note: Fall archery hunting season for deer opens on September 15th and continues through the end of December. We strongly encourage our NRCA participants conducting fall field work (and anyone else in the woods) to wear blaze orange to increase your visibility during hunting season. Below are specific fall safety guidelines based on recommendations […]