The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has been providing scholarships to residents of New Jersey pursuing degrees in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, park administration, and related fields for the past 36 years.
This year, the $7,500 Russell M. Myers Scholarship is awarded to Jessica Zhao, a Princeton native who is a senior at Duke University majoring in environmental science and policy with a concentration in marine conservation.
During the past year, Zhao volunteered with Peruvian nonprofits to reverse eutrophication in an Andean wetland and met with sustainability-focused businesses, organizations and leaders across Scandinavia, according to a prepared statement. She also studied at the Duke Marine Lab under a Rachel Carson scholarship, which trains promising students to become the next generation of marine conservation leaders.
Zhao will use her research on governance in Eastern Indonesian marine protected areas to complete an honors thesis before graduation.
This summer she is gaining political experience in a state-level organization that holds elected officials accountable for the environment, according to the statement.
“It is an honor to be this year’s recipient of the Russell M. Myers Scholarship. I am excited to use my education to continue advancing climate action and influencing policy in New Jersey and beyond,” Zhao said in the statement.
The Russell M. Myers Scholarship was established in 1983 to honor Myers, founder of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. A leader in the field of conservation, Myers was the first director of the Morris County Park Commission, which remains the largest county park system in New Jersey, according to the statement.
The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is a member-supported, non-profit, accredited land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting natural land and water resources throughout the state. Originally founded as an all-volunteer group in 1981 the organization has worked with 100 municipalities in 13 counties and continues to be recognized for meeting the highest standards for protecting open space, upholding the public trust, and ensuring that their conservation efforts are permanent.
For more information about the work of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, visit www.tlc-nj.org or call 973-541-1010.