North Woods Fellowship for Journalists, October 11-14, 2009
— This program has been filled —
However, another upcoming program is still open for new applicants: Energy Country Institute
Themes will include:
- The Lake Country and Global Warming: How Far Will Water Levels Fall?
- Challenges of Atmospheric Monitoring in an Era of Climate Change
- Tensions in Wolf Country: Managing the Largest Regional Wolf Population in the Lower 48
- Rural Sprawl: Ecological Consequences of Shoreline and Deep Woods Development
- Outsmarting Exotics: Novel and Innovative Methods of Extirpating Aquatic Invasive Species
- Sustainable Practices in Northern Forests: The Realities of a 180-year Harvest Rotation
- Prehistoric Comeback: Reviving Populations of the Mighty Lake Sturgeon
How to Apply
In a break from SEJ tradition, this year's post-conference tour (called the Lake Country Institute) will be offered as a competitive fellowship program instead of on a basis of first-come, first-served. Only those journalists who are SEJ members in good standing and who are registered to attend the 2009 SEJ conference in Madison, Wisconsin, will be eligible to submit an application to IJNR. All eligible candidates will be considered by IJNR for participation.
In an unprecedented arrangement, IJNR will cover all travel, lodging and meal costs for those journalists who are selected to participate in this year's post-conference tour.
Send a statement of interest (no longer than two pages), a current résumé of work experience and educational background, a reference letter or supervisor's endorsement, and four work samples to . Applications by email are preferred. Hard copy applications can be sent to:
IJNR Fellowship Selection Committee P.O. Box 1996 Missoula, MT 59806
For more information, contact:
Peter Annin — / (608) 278-8005
Frank Allen — / (406) 273-4626
Printer-friendly versionAbout the program
IJNR, the Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources, is inviting applications for its Lake Country Institute, a four-day journey through scenic sections of northern Wisconsin's vacationland. This program is being organized in collaboration with the Society of Environmental Journalists as SEJ’s 2009 Post-Conference Tour. Water-related themes will unify the content of this roving, field-based journalism program. This year's fellowship will start and end in Madison, Wisconsin, and will begin immediately following the SEJ Annual Conference.
Although the expedition will be based in Wisconsin, the content of the program is designed to be relevant to journalists who work throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond. The Lake Country Institute is a program of learning and professional development, organized and led by journalists. Fellowships will be awarded to up to 20 competitively selected reporters, editors and producers (perhaps including one or two graduate students)—all in pursuit of better, more informed coverage of natural resources and the environment.
Lake Country Fellows will venture into the field with limnologists to examine whether climate change is responsible for the historically low water levels now apparent on many inland lakes. Journalists will see some unprecedented attempts to remove exotic species from inland waters, and will discuss the potential application of this field research over a wider area. Journalists will also hear from wolf biologists charged with managing the largest regional wolf population in the lower 48 states and then venture into the woods for an after-hours howl. Fellows will examine the consequences that shoreline and deep-woods development has had on thousands of lakes and streams sprinkled throughout the lake country. During a visit to the world-renowned Menominee Indian Reservation, journalists will hear about the tribe’s unusual silviculture practice of harvesting trees on a 180-year "old-growth" rotation. Journalists will also meet with leading fisheries biologists who have worked to keep the Wisconsin lake sturgeon population among of the most robust in the world.
IJNR's field programs are designed by journalists for journalists. Each program emphasizes the importance of context and perspective while covering issues of the environment, economic development, public health and rural communities. IJNR encourages better reporting and storytelling in order to increase public awareness and understanding of natural-resource issues.
IJNR Fellowships cover all field expenses, including meals, lodging, chartered vehicles and excursion fees. In cases of hardship, a modest stipend may be available for help with travel expenses to and from Madison, Wisconsin—the program's hub city. Newsrooms are asked to cover salaries while participants are "on assignment" during the program, so that journalists are not expected to use vacation days or compensatory time to attend.
About the Lake Country staff
Peter Annin, the architect and leader of the Lake Country Institute, is IJNR's associate director and a former Chicago-based correspondent for Newsweek. He is also the author of The Great Lakes Water Wars, an award-winning book published in 2006 about water conflicts in the Great Lakes region.
Frank Edward Allen, IJNR's President, is a former bureau chief and environment editor for The Wall Street Journal. He is the principal author of Matching the Scenery: Journalism's Duty to the North American West, published in 2003.
The Joyce Foundation is the primary sponsor of this post-conference program, but IJNR also receives funding from more than 20 other organizations and 200 individual donors, representing a wide and balanced spectrum of interests and viewpoints. IJNR insists on editorial independence in all of its programming.