COMPASS Pathfinders: Conservation Leaders

A deeply connected community, bound by shared purpose

As environmental challenges grow more complex, it’s easy to feel uncertain or discouraged about the path ahead. Yet now, more than ever, we need knowledgeable, dedicated individuals who are ready to take action and inspire meaningful change. The COMPASS Pathfinder Program, built upon the foundational pieces of the Wilburforce Leaders in Conservation Science Program, supports conservation experts from across North America to navigate their journey with renewed clarity, energy, and purpose.

Participants in the program will gain valuable tools, skills, and support to explore different pathways for change. They will develop essential skills to build effective strategies, strengthen resilience, and foster trust and collaboration with others who share a commitment to the well-being of people and nature — both within and beyond the conservation field. We believe that a deeply connected community, bound together by shared purpose, is key to building meaningful, durable solutions.

Whether you’re an experienced conservationist or someone eager to grow in the field, the COMPASS Pathfinder Program offers the opportunity to expand your impact and be part of a vibrant, supportive community that is shaping the future of environmental conservation.

Together, we can amplify our collective impact and reimagine conservation as a collaborative, just, and compassionate effort—one that builds partnerships across boundaries to create a thriving future for all.

Ready to bring your knowledge, skills, and passion to the table? Join us and be part of a community that is working to better serve society and the natural world. Learn more below.

About the Program

Program Overview

Over the course of the program, we will collectively grow a community who will explore their purpose, grow their skills, and support each other to lead change within themselves and their community. This program will support participants to grow in the following areas:

  • Personal Growth in Leadership: Connect with what brings them purpose, build confidence in their strengths, grow resilience to adversity, and develop skills to help lead change
  • Strategic Communication: Learn to effectively frame and share their message, engage in meaningful, productive dialogue, and productively navigate differences
  • Science for Society: Develop pathways for their work to better serve society, including identifying levers of change, cultivating networks, and engaging in meaningful collaborations, all grounded in the experience of guest experts
  • Meaningful Relationships: Build enduring and mutually supportive connections with fellow participants and be poised to engage in thoughtful collaborations

Program Schedule

For the success of the program and each individual, participants are expected to attend the key events outlined below.  Virtual sessions will be approximately three hours long (10am PT/1pm ET – 1pm PT/4pm ET).

  • Virtual kick off event on Friday, September 26, 2025
  • In-person retreat from November 3–7, 2025, held outside Portland, Oregon. All travel expenses will be covered.
  • Half-day virtual workshops on Friday, December 12, 2025 and Friday, February 6, 2026
  • Virtual closing event on April 10, 2026
  • Optional monthly peer group gatherings (dates and times TBD based on participant availability)

Eligibility

We are committed to crafting a cohort that is inclusive of myriad disciplines, identities, perspectives, and ways of knowing. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and fields of study, including Indigenous knowledge, social science, and biophysical science, within the conservation space. We also acknowledge the value of on-the-ground experience and encourage folks working in applied, practitioner positions within land, freshwater, marine, and/or urban conservation to apply.

We will use the following criteria to evaluate applications:

  • Relevant: To be eligible for this program, your work must relate to environmental conservation (land, freshwater, marine, and/or urban) in North America, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
  • Committed: You should be prepared and excited to invest time and energy in the whole program. Please review the program schedule above to assess the time commitment for this program and your ability to participate.
  • Goal-oriented: You are thinking about how your work connects to the larger picture of conservation and have a strong sense about what you want to work toward.
  • Values-aligned: You value the well-being of people and nature and approach your work with compassion, respect for other perspectives, and an openness to learn and grow and generously support the growth of others.

The following are not required for successful applications:

  • You do not have to have participated in any previous COMPASS events. 
  • We honor many ways of learning and knowing. To that end, you do not need to have a doctorate or master’s degree to be selected. Relevant experience and its application will be considered in lieu of a graduate degree.
  • You do not have to be currently conducting research to be selected, however we are seeking people whose current, primary professional role is research- or Indigenous knowledge-informed, which could include doing research or synthesis, communicating knowledge, or building collaborations.

How to Apply

Applications are currently open and will close on April 7, 2025. Final selections will be made by June, 2025.

To apply, please complete this application form. You will need to include:

  • Responses to short-answer & multiple-choice questions that help us learn more about you, your work, and what you hope to gain from this program. Prompts and questions include:
    1. Describe your work and how it relates to conservation in North America.
    2. Why is this program the right opportunity for you at this moment?
    3. What do you hope to accomplish by participating in this program, and how will it benefit your community?
    4. Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself – your identity, background or unique perspective – that has not been covered above? If so, please share it here. This question is optional. We encourage you to use this space to share more about you as a person, if you choose, versus additional detail about your work.
  • Resume or short CV (file upload)
  • References from two individuals who can speak to why you would be a good fit for this program. We ask that you please share this form with your references and have them complete it by the application deadline. Your application will still be considered if your references have not been received by this date.
Apply by April 7, 2025

When I joined the program, I wasn't sure if I would stay in the conservation realm at all - even though I cared very deeply about the work that I was doing. I was so burnt out and I felt really alone. Because of this program, I feel like I have community, I have a conservation vision re-ignited in me, and I feel motivated once again.

~ 2023 Wilburforce Fellow

Often the doors for career-enhancing opportunities are closed to people who don't fit a conventional model of a scientist, but real conservation depends on tremendously diverse skill sets. COMPASS and Wilburforce opened their leadership programs up to people with a variety of skills and backgrounds, and that's what really appealed to me. It was the highlight of my year.

~ Dr. Jonaki Bhattacharyya, 2015 Wilburforce Fellow

I hold this cohort very close and have been looking for a group like this for decades. I feel I was a great fit, and even though I'm in a career and life transition, I look forward to carrying this privilege, the joy it brought, the renewed passions of why I got started along this career path, and future opportunities it will bring throughout my career, very near and dear to me.

~ 2023 Wilburforce Fellow

I have the photograph from the very first day of the training, where we were making mental maps and putting up post-its of what we wanted to do, and in that photograph I was describing the vision I had for a project for my new job. That photo captured exactly what I’ve accomplished now—the partners, the process, the vision.

~ Sergio Avila, 2015 Wilburforce Fellow

Getting to know the other participants and sharing in their stories and growth was delightful and inspiring. Activities that encouraged grounding, being present and open were a welcome reminder of the value of those essential aspects of a life well lived.

~ 2021 Wilburforce Fellow

About Us

The COMPASS Pathfinders program is designed and facilitated by COMPASS staff. This program is funded through private donations and philanthropic contributions, including Wilburforce Foundation, a private philanthropic organization that supports land, water, and wildlife conservation efforts in Western North America.

Learn more about COMPASS.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is there a cost to participate if I’m selected?

No. 

Is there a stipend if I’m selected?

No, but all travel expenses for in-person events will be covered by the program.

Do I need to have a doctorate or master’s degree?

No. Relevant experience, from all backgrounds and fields of study, and its application will be considered in lieu of a graduate degree. We also acknowledge the value of on-the-ground experience and encourage folks working in applied, practitioner positions to apply.

What if I'm trained as a scientist, but not currently doing research?

We are seeking people whose current, primary professional role is science- or Indigenous knowledge-informed, which could include doing scientific research or synthesis, communicating science, building collaborations where science is a strong component, etc. It is not necessary to be currently conducting research.

Are marine scientists eligible?

Yes, marine scientists are eligible.

Will Wilburforce Leaders in Conservation Science recruit new applicants?

After nearly a decade of programming, the Wilburforce Leaders in Conservation Science program will no longer recruit new cohorts.

With much gratitude to Wilburforce Foundation for launching and funding Wilburforce Leaders for 10 years, we are now expanding our programming to new disciplines, geographies, and more through diversified funding. The COMPASS Pathfinders program is built upon the foundational pieces of Wilburforce Leaders, but will now reach even more people. Anyone who was waiting for the next call for Wilburforce Leaders is eligible and encouraged to apply to this program.