Audubon of Southwest Florida Programs
Funded by The Charles Foster Conservation Fund and donations from you.
Read about "the old river rat" Charles Foster

Florida Gulf Coast University Tuition Scholarship 

Audubon of Southwest Florida is pleased to offer an annual merit-based scholarship (up to $5000) for a Junior or Senior in Environmental Studies or a related field at Florida Gulf Coast University.  The recipient must be a member of Audubon (or the son or daughter of an Audubon member) for at least the year prior to receiving the scholarship. Contact the Education Committee, Audubon of Southwest Florida at edu@AudubonSWFL.org for complete information about this opportunity.

The 2007 award was earned by Steven Brent Jackson and given in support of his senior year studies in ornithology at FGCU.

Visit the Florida Gulf Coast University Scholarship Information Page  for additional information on  the University and other scholarship programs available. 

Audubon of Southwest Florida Scholarship for Edison College Students

Audubon of Southwest Florida is pleased to offer a merit-based academic scholarship, of up to $2000 for tuition, books, and fees, for a second semester (or beyond) student with an emphasis on natural sciences at Edison College in Ft. Myers. Applicants must have completed six hours of natural sciences or geography (or completed 3 hrs and currently be enrolled in 3 hrs) and have future plans for a career related to environmental studies. The recipient must be a member of Audubon of Southwest Florida (or the son or daughter of an Audubon member) at the time of application, and if awarded the scholarship, he/she must and have been a member for at least six months prior to receiving the funds.

For further information and deadlines contact the Education Committee, at edu(at)AudubonSWFL.org. To apply: submit a letter explaining why you believe you should receive the scholarship and describing future educational and professional plans, a resume, a college transcript, and three letters of reference. Finalists will be required to have a personal interview with the education committee.

Cornell Home Study Birding Course Scholarship Program

Audubon of Southwest Florida is offering its members who are experienced volunteer docents at important birding areas in Lee Country a scholarship to Cornell Lab of Ornithology Home Study Course in Bird Biology.  This scholarship is also being funded through  the the Charles Foster Conservation Fund, and only Audubon members who have applied for but not received a scholarship for the course from Cornell are eligible to apply.  Contact the Education Committee, Audubon of Southwest Florida at edu@AudubonSWFL.org for complete information about this opportunity.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Home Study Course in Bird Biology is a basic ornithology class designed to provide comprehensive, college-level information on birds and their environments in a manner accessible to nonscientists and teachers the world over.  It covers all major topics in ornithology, from anatomy and physiology to ecology, behavior, and conservation biology. 

For more information about the Cornell Lab Home Study Course in Bird Biology, visit the web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/homestudy/.

Florida Master Naturalist Program Tuition Scholarship Program

Audubon of Southwest Florida, through the Charles Foster Conservation Fund, is pleased to offer $225 reimbursement of tuition scholarships for teachers in Lee county and volunteer docents of environmental centers in Southwest Florida, who are members of an Audubon chapter in SW Florida, to participate in the University of Florida's Master Naturalist Program (FMNP).  The FMNP is an adult education extension program designed for people who are interested in learning more about Florida’s environment, seeking educational contact hours, or wishing to increase their knowledge for use in education programs as volunteers, employees, and ecotourism guides.  The FMNP includes courses in 3 subject areas – Freshwater Wetlands, Coastal Systems, and Upland Habitats.  Participants receive 40 educational contact hours including classroom learning, field trips, and practical experience in interpretation. Students receive detailed course manuals and, upon completion, certificates, patches, and pins denoting their area of expertise (e.g., Wetlands Naturalist) and are registered in the University of Florida database of Master Naturalists.

Each scholarship recipient is to complete a course-related special project which contributes to the mission of Audubon. 

If you are interested in applying, please submit a an email with along with a brief resume and your project idea to Audubon Southwest Florida's Education Committee at edu@audubonswfl.org.

Visit the Florida Master Naturalist Program web site to learn more about the program.  You may also contact Margaret England, a member of the Board of directors of Audubon of Hendry/Glades who is also a Florida Master Naturalist, at sta5birding@earthlink.net.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission summer camps
Audubon of Southwest Florida is pleased to offer tuition scholarships for the sons or daughters of Audubon of Southwest Florida members to attend the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission summer camps. Reimbursement for tuition will be considered upon receipt of a letter from the participant on their experience at a camp and permission of the child and parents to publish the letter in our newsletter, Flyways. Contact the Education Committee of Audubon of Southwest Florida at edu@AudubonSWFL.org for details.

Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp
The camp occupies a 57-acre peninsula, rich in history and wildlife, on Lake Eaton in the Ocala National Forest. Facilities are rustic, yet comfortable, with air-conditioned cabins and dining hall. Our “Classrooms” consist of outdoor shooting ranges, a fishing pier, Lake Eaton and the vast Ocala National Forest.

The Mission of the Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp is to provide campers with the necessary skills and knowledge to become better sportsmen and women, while instilling an awareness of firearm safety and wildlife stewardship. In addition to hunter safety, all campers will enjoy fishing, canoeing, swimming, hiking and many other outdoor activities.

The Everglades Youth Conservation Camp
The Everglades Youth Conservation Camp is located on the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area owned by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The Everglades Youth Camp is now operated by Florida Atlantic University's Pine Jog Environmental Education Center. For more Information visit www.pinejog.org

Immersion in nature is the key to success with the Eco-Interpreters. Through a guided nature journey of surrounding ecosystems, campers will learn the key tools required to becoming a wildlife interpreter from animal tracks to tree and flower identification. Photography and journaling are key elements to an eco-interpreter's experience at camp. Campers will receive instruction in wildlife photography and journaling to further develop their relationship with our natural communities and widen their individual "eye" for nature.

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Support Audubon of Southwest Florida's

Scholarship Program
 
Please send your tax deducible contribution to support this program to:

Audubon of Southwest Florida, Inc.

 Post Office Box 61041
Fort Myers, Florida 33906-1041

  More Financial Aid Resources

The Environmental Scholarship Guide

This web site offers a practical game plan for people who are trying to track down and compete successfully for scholarships related to environmental careers. 

Izaak Walton League Scholarship Program

This program serves students enrolled in programs that may include, but are not limited to: environmental science/engineering/education, natural resource management, forestry, wildlife, fisheries, parks and recreation, range management, and soils, and other related sciences such as ecology, biology (conservation/field/marine), geology, hydrology, and zoology, including mammalogy, ornithology, and entomology.