The National Forest Foundation believes in the value of matching cutting-edge knowledge acquired in graduate-level studies with a practical, project-based experience. The NFF strives to meet each fellow's learning objectives while also effectively delivering conservation results for National Forests and Grasslands through collaboration. Each fellow is paired with an NFF staff member to guide the completion of their hands-on project. The Conservation Connect Fellowship aims to build experience, knowledge, and skills within the next generation of collaborative conservation leaders.
Let's meet the 2025 cohort of Conservation Connect Fellows!
Mary Kelly
- University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- Project: Demonstrating the Impact of Stream Restoration Projects through Data Management
Mary Kelly is a lifelong Michigander and current graduate student at the University of Michigan studying geospatial data sciences. Her interests are centered on applying GIS and data science to a wide range of environmental issues and projects across conservation, transportation, and terrestrial/water resources. For her master's capstone project, Mary is working with the Indigenous-led Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance to develop geospatial wildlife connectivity tools and advocate for federal policies that will enable Tribes in the Northern Great Plains region of the United States to prioritize lands for restoration.
Prior to graduate school, Mary earned a degree in Environmental Science and French from Northern Michigan University. Her professional experience includes internships with local land conservancies and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as contracted GIS projects with The Nature Conservancy and the Conservation Data Lab. Mary is excited to serve as a Conservation Connect Fellow in support of NFF's Watershed Program. Outside of school and work, you can find her training for her next race (5k - half marathon), attempting to boulder, cooking/baking, or reading.
Alyssa Lutker
- University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Project: Telling the Story: Nature-based Solutions to Improve the Resilience of the Colorado River Basin
Alyssa is a master’s student in Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is in the professional-track program with specializations in environmental communications, nonprofit communications, and community storytelling. Alyssa takes great interest in intersectional environmentalism. She appreciates not only learning about the wide range of topics connected to the environment, including social issues, public health, and socioeconomics, but also helping to educate and inform others about what she has learned. Outside of school and work, Alyssa is often camping, hiking, swimming, reading, or putting together a puzzle.
With a passion for helping others understand the interconnected relationship between the environment and societal systems, in addition to a dedication to community work, Alyssa is excited to serve as a Conservation Connect Fellow in support of storytelling on solutions to improve the resiliency of the Colorado River Basin. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Alyssa lived in part of the Colorado River Basin in Arizona for 9 months, and she looks forward to reconnecting with the area through her work with the NFF.
Cecilia (Ceci) Martinez
- University of Arizona
- Project: Biodiversity Outcomes across NFF Programs
Ceci is a PhD student in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Originally from Alaska, she was deeply shaped by its rugged wilderness: the unassuming, resilient flora of the tundra, the scraggly boreal forests that dotted the landscape, and the spectacle of salmon leaping as they embarked on their epic journey upstream. She earned her BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. Following her undergraduate degree, she spent a few seasons working for the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service in Colorado and New Mexico, working on various projects from managing invasive plants to surveying for sensitive species. Here she realized how important collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches are to managing and conserving our public lands.
In graduate school, she focuses on developing conservation tools in the form of demographic models to understand the viability of tree populations in the interior west. She focuses her current research on whitebark pine, a federally listed tree species. For her NFF practicum, Ceci will assist the Conservation Finance team on building approaches to quantify biodiversity outcomes.
Anna Vaughn
- Northern Arizona University
- Project: Assessing and Enhancing Funding Partnerships in the Southwest
Anna is a second year PhD student at Northern Arizona University. Anna’s academic interests include climate adaptation, natural resource management, environmental justice, and science communication. Anna’s dissertation work examines the interconnected social-ecological system dynamics of the Emory oak tree (Quercus emoryii). Her research focuses on the cultural significance of Western Apache acorn harvesting practices and how such practices are threatened by impacts of climate change.
Anna grew up hiking and camping in the National Forests in Southern California and this was the beginning of a lifelong interest and passion for exploring public lands. She hopes that her current research, as well as opportunities such as the Conservation Connect Fellowship, will further support her dream of working in public lands conservation. When not on a hike, Anna enjoys landscape and wildlife photography.
Bennett Fate
- Oregon State University
- Project: Reforestation Needs and Landscape Assessment in the Pacific Northwest
Bennett is a graduate student at Oregon State University pursuing an MS in Sustainable Forest Management. His research explores how fire frequency impacts soil health and Douglas-fir seedling regeneration in the Western Cascades of Oregon. In particular, he is interested in the relative roles of soil chemistry and microbial communities in facilitating conifer re-establishment post wildfire.
Originally from the Chicago area, Bennett grew up loving the Great Lakes and the outdoors. It led him to study biology and environmental science at Iowa State University. During his time there he gained research exposure exploring the impact of fungal pathogens on seedling growth. After completing his undergraduate degree, he worked with the Bureau of Land Management in Eastern Oregon. This work centered around working with diverse stakeholders (government agencies, landowners, universities) to monitor and research post-wildfire restoration projects. These experiences highlighted the importance of collaboration in large-scale restoration initiatives and motivated his current graduate research and his work with the National Forest Foundation. As a Conservation Connect Fellow, Bennett will be involved in communicating the reforestation needs and current work on wildfire burn scars in the Umpqua National Forest.
When he’s not working or in classes, Bennett also loves to cook, play soccer, go camping, and make music with friends. A Midwesterner through and through, he is still happily shocked every time he sees the mountains and/or the ocean.
More information about the Conservation Connect Fellowship program can be found on our website or by contacting Jane Mandala, Conservation Connect Coordinator.
