Becoming A Conservation Leader

A 6-week course which is delivered exclusively online
Tailormade for wildlife conservation students and professionals
Aimed at those aged 18-30 in early-career positions
£25 registration fee to secure your place (non-refundable)*

Are you passionate about wildlife conservation and eager to make a real difference? This course is designed for young people like you who want to turn their commitment to protecting our planet into meaningful action.

‘Becoming a Conservation Leader’ (BCL) is designed especially for early-career conservationists.  The training will lead you through a process of unlocking key skills which will better enable you to lead projects, inspire change, and tackle the unique challenges facing organisations in the conservation sector. Discover how to become a confident advocate for wildlife—all while boosting your career and connecting with like-minded individuals who share your vision for a better world.

The course material is centred on our organisation’s values: authentic, effective, and brave, which we think underpin the traits of the most successful leaders. Our inside-out approach will help you examine how to go about creating change not through the position you hold but from who you truly are. We’ll get you thinking about your own values and how they guide your decision making and you will be encouraged to think about how you manage your attitudes, behaviours, time and relationships. You’ll consider the importance of developing resilience and how to overcome challenges and stand up for what you believe in with courage. In just six weeks, we hope to empower you to face the future with resilience and the belief that you can, and will, make a difference. 

BCL gives you the time and space to raise your self-awareness, challenge your perspectives and unlock your leadership potential,  using best practice methods and with the support of like-minded peers on the programme. This course aims to:

• Unleash Your Confidence – break through doubts and discover the leader inside you 
• Expand Your Network – connect with like-minded young conservationists from a variety of well-known organisations
• Make a Difference – Use your skills to take on challenges in your workplace, community, or nature site. Turn your vision into action!

In just 6 weeks, you will have built confidence, boosted your CV and opened doors to future opportunities. Why Wait? The world needs new voices and innovative ideas—yours included!

What you’ll get

You can expect to receive the following benefits once you enrol on this course:

• Weekly release of online materials, which include podcasts, opinion pieces, and self-guided exercises, which aim to help you apply your learning to your real-world context.  

• Three live discussion sessions, led by experienced professionals (these take place on a weekday during typical working hours GMT/BST) 
• Introduction to a peer support network of like-minded conservation professionals to share your ideas and learning with. 
• Direct access to our coaches to support you in getting the most from the course
• A certificate  of completion
• Completing BCL will unlock the opportunity to join the Evolving Conservation Leaders programme

Is this for me?

This training is for you if any of the following describes you;

• You want to inspire others to take positive action for nature 
• You are studying a conservation-related subject at university or a vocational qualification
• You are undertaking a training placement or voluntary work to gain experience in the conservation sector.
• You are in an entry-level or early career position but have no/limited experience in line management or leading a team
• You want to progress in your conservation career and/or boost your CV
• You have imposter syndrome or lack confidence
• You want to get more involved in decision-making and management
• You have a clear goal but are not sure how to get there

What we expect from you

We have just a few prerequisites for those attending our courses, which are;

• You are aged 18 – 30
• You can commit to the full duration of the course, including all three live discussion sessions
• You can commit to 2-4 hours per week (this includes the live sessions above) – we’d strongly recommend that this is done in your working hours as part of your professional development (see below)
• You should already be involved in conservation work either as a paid employee, intern/trainee, regular volunteer or student. 

Course Facilitators 

This training will be facilitated by our Head of Programmes, Becky Park, with support from Dr Tim Mackrill, Barry Dore and Ian Jelley. You can find out more about our team HERE. 

Upcoming Course Dates

We deliver a limited number of opportunities to take part in BCL each year, each with a maximum of 20 spaces. Courses are advertised on environmentjob.com, on the Osprey Leadership Foundation’s social media channels and in our newsletter.
To view current opportunities to take part, click “BOOK A COURSE” at the top or bottom of this page. 

*Cost and affordability

The true value of this training is over £200 per person; however, for as long as The Osprey Leadership Foundation is able to secure funds to cover the cost of delivery, BCL will remain as inexpensive as possible for our participants. We charge a nominal registration fee of £25 to secure your place and discourage no-shows. 

It is very important to us that affordability is not a barrier to accessing our training, and our help and understanding will always be available to those who genuinely cannot cover the registration fee. If this is the case for you, please let us know – email info@ospreylf.org. 

We encourage you to seek support from your employer to attend this course. Employers, including charities, local authorities and consultancies often have a budget for professional development. This means there is likely financial support for training for staff and volunteers available from HR, as long as you have a training course in mind and can demonstrate the benefits you and your employer will gain from you completing the training. If your employer is happy to cover the cost and would like us to invoice them directly, please ensure you email us their details as soon as possible.