The Private Lands Leadership Academy (PLLA) is a comprehensive training program for early career (1-5 year) conservation delivery professionals. Participants receive approximately 60 instructional hours over a 9-month period while building community with their peers. The purpose of the program is to develop leaders in the private lands conservation field, creating stronger, lasting outcomes for wildlife habitat and species diversity in Arkansas.
This training is designed for early career (1-5 years) conservation delivery professionals, including private lands biologists, farm bill biologists, foresters, soil conservationists, land managers, and others who work with private landowners to conserve and protect wildlife and natural resources.
Participants will receive over 60 hours of instruction over the course of four in-person workshops at locations across Arkansas, as well as two virtual training sessions.
Field locations will feature upland hardwood and pine forests, bottomland hardwood forests, grasslands and wetlands, on both public and private lands.
The inaugural Academy runs Feb-Nov 2025.
Participants will attend multiple workshops:
Participants must commit to attending the entire program.
January 15, 2025 | Space is limited.
$2,000 per person. Includes all meals, lodging, instruction, and materials.
The Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF) designed this comprehensive training program in consultation with conservation partners across the state including Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Quail Forever Arkansas Chapter, Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others, for conservation professionals seeking to improve their effectiveness and build their skills in private lands conservation delivery.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1500
Farmington, AR 72730
An independent, non-governmental, statewide organization dedicated to the future of Arkansas wildlife.