The Hawaii-based National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) is accepting applications for its Environmental Journalism Program (May 1– 5, 2023) designed for professional journalists (employed as staff or freelance) working in broadcast, print, online, and new media. The immersive five-day program provides a background in tropical botany, ecology, and biocultural conservation, a progressive approach that honors Indigenous legacies, integrates cultural values and centers our communities to advance meaningful, long-lasting conservation impacts. The EJ Program is structured to enhance well-informed, accurate reporting on environmental issues with a focus on tropical and island systems and the importance of plants and biocultural diversity.
The Environmental Journalism (EJ) Program is offered at NTBG headquarters, in three of its five botanical garden sites, and other locations on the island of Kauai. Established in 1964 by a Congressional Charter, NTBG encompasses ancient Hawaiian cultural and archaeological sites, extensive botanical living collections, a LEED-certified botanical research center, a botanical library and rare book collection, a seed bank and laboratory, a historical garden estate, a horticulture and conservation center, and other natural and man-made resources and facilities.
NTBG provides richly varied indoor and outdoor living classroom settings in which to study and experience new and traditional ideas while exploring critical concepts of biology, ethnobotany, biocultural conservation, habitat restoration, seed banking, agroforestry, and herbaria specializing in tropical and sub-tropical flora.
EJ Program presenters include NTBG staff and non-staff scientists, educators, and experts in botany, horticulture, taxonomy, field biology, ornithology, ethnobotany, and other related fields.
Participating journalists can expect to gain a greater understanding of important elements and current developments that will assist them in reporting on science and the environment. The goal of NTBG’s EJ Program is to introduce critical information and concepts in order to foster a greater understanding of these issues. The EJ Program is not expressly intended to provide source material for prospective news stories, although NTBG staff and other speakers may be available for interviews outside program hours.
NTBG provides all participants free on-site shared housing, airport transfer, and ground transportation. EJ Program participants are responsible for the cost of their own airfare to Lihue Airport on Kauai, meals, incidentals, and any additional expenses such as U.S. visas, etc.
Apply starting: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 (6 a.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time)
Deadline to apply: Tuesday, February 21, 2023 (by 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time)
Notice of acceptance: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Dates of program: Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5, 2023
*All participants must arrive on Kauai by Sun. April 30 and depart NTBG housing by Sat. May 6th
Required to Apply: Complete Environmental Journalism Program online application and provide two samples of recent work in print, audio, video, or online reporting (URL links only please). Submission of a CV/resume is optional.
APPLY AT: https://ntbg.wufoo.com/forms/environmental-journalism-program/
Website: https://ntbg.org/education/professional
Email: education@ntbg.org