The University of California, Santa Cruz is expanding its role in conservation education with the launch of the Conservation Leadership Immersion Experience (CLIME) Scholars Program. Backed by a $900,000 grant from the Cedar Tree Foundation, the initiative will continue and build on the success of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program, which over the past decade brought more than 150 students from across the U.S. to campus for training as future leaders in conservation.
CLIME will begin in 2026 and run through 2028, welcoming three cohorts of students for immersive leadership training and internship placements. Ecology and evolutionary biology professor Kristy Kroeker, who will direct the new program, said the shift represents an opportunity to refine and expand the model. “We have learned so much from the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program, which was really its own experiment. CLIME provides us an opportunity to capitalize on those lessons and be laser-focused on making an impact on students’ lives and the field,” Kroeker said.
The launch comes at a pivotal time for the conservation movement, which has historically struggled with inclusivity. Programs like Doris Duke and CLIME aim to expand access and representation by supporting underrepresented students with mentorship, research opportunities, and career pathways. Alumni of the Doris Duke program are now contributing in government, classrooms, and field research, with many citing the mentorship and network as decisive in shaping their careers. “Growing up as a first-generation Hispanic immigrant, I never saw people like myself in conservation leadership. Doris Duke was that path for me,” said Luis Rouzaud, a program alumnus now pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz.
The program builds on the two-year structure pioneered by Doris Duke, combining intensive summer courses in conservation design and leadership with internship placements at conservation organizations. Students also receive continued mentorship, stipends, and access to a professional network of more than 700 scholars worldwide. At UC Santa Cruz, faculty leaders including Erika Zavaleta and Abe Borker, alongside a wide coalition of academic and professional mentors, will ensure continuity for CLIME.
Scholars note that conservation must evolve to succeed. A 2022 study published by the Ecological Society of America argued for a shift away from narrow, Eurocentric definitions of conservation toward approaches that integrate Indigenous knowledge and long-standing cultural practices of stewardship. CLIME’s leaders emphasize that preparing diverse future leaders will strengthen conservation’s reach, effectiveness, and alignment with social goals.
“With CLIME, UC Santa Cruz is poised to inject more diversity and inclusivity into conservation at all levels,” Kroeker said. “And with climate change recognized as one of the most pressing global challenges, CLIME will prepare leaders with the creativity, insight, and resilience needed to face it head-on.”
