Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund Announces $4,000 Patrick Conant Memorial Scholarship for Conservation Students

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund announced on March 2, 2026 the new Patrick Conant Memorial Scholarship, a $4,000 award intended to support early-career conservation students. The organization named the award in honor of Patrick Conant and positioned the scholarship as direct support for advanced training in fields that underpin Hawaii’s ecosystems.

The scholarship is explicitly targeted to two groups: recent college graduates who are enrolled in certificate or other specialized training programs, and students currently enrolled in graduate studies. Eligible areas of study listed in the announcement are entomology, avian biology, botany, and conservation, which reflect disciplines central to managing island species and habitats.

By setting the award at $4,000, Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund framed the scholarship as support for tuition, course fees, fieldwork costs, or training-related expenses for recipients progressing from undergraduate work to applied certificate programs or graduate research. The program design aligns with the Fund’s ongoing focus on species protection and habitat restoration in Hawaiʻi and with the skill sets needed for hands-on conservation projects across the islands.

The announcement on March 2, 2026 did not include selection dates or application instructions in the text provided with this report. The Patrick Conant Memorial Scholarship bears Conant’s name and is presented by Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund as a memorial endowment to encourage study and practical training in the specific scientific fields named by the organization.

For Big Island County, the $4,000 award represents a targeted investment in training for entomology, avian biology, botany, and broader conservation work that supports local resource management and research. Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund’s establishment of the Patrick Conant Memorial Scholarship on March 2 positions the organization to expand capacity among recent graduates and graduate students pursuing the technical skills needed to address island-scale conservation challenges.