Call for Applications: ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Fellowship Program

By Jared Green

ASLA and the ASLA Fund have announced a call for applications for the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Fellowship Program for 2026-2027.

The Fellowship is a one-year program designed to grow the leadership and advocacy skills of a landscape architect, designer, or educator focused on climate and biodiversity action. The Fellowship is from March 2026 to March 2027.

ASLA is looking for a Fellow with a portfolio of projects or research that demonstrates they have advanced landscape architecture practice or research in the areas of climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience, or biodiversity. They should have a set of projects or research that aligns with the vision and goals of ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan and can be communicated to a broad, general audience in an accessible way. The Fellow's practice or research work should address both climate and biodiversity considerations, but the specifics of their work may primarily focus on either climate or biodiversity solutions.

Over the course of the program, the Fellow will have an opportunity to hone how they communicate their work and advocate for climate and biodiversity action. They will collaborate with the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee, and ASLA National Programs, Government Affairs, and Communications teams. They will share their work and advance ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action plan goals through national and global platforms.

The Fellow will:

• Write six blog posts for ASLA's The Dirt
• Organize and present a webinar as part of the Climate & Biodiversity Action 101 webinar series
• Organize and present an educational session at the conference of an allied organization
• Organize and present educational sessions as an ASLA delegate to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP31 in Turkey or the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD) COP in Armenia.
• Participate in full ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee calls
• Receive registration to the ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture in Los Angeles

An outline of the Fellow's year-long advocacy strategy and narrative, including articles and presentations, will be developed with ASLA staff and ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Committee subcommittees. Articles will be developed with The Dirt's editor.

The Fellow will receive a $11,000 fellowship, which includes:

• Stipend ($3,000)
• Travel and hotel expenses to attend an allied organization's conference ($3,500)
• Travel and hotel expenses to attend one UN COP ($3,500)
• Registration for the ASLA 2026 Conference on Landscape Architecture in Los Angeles ($1,000 value)

Timeline:

Applications are due Monday, February 16.
Interviews will be scheduled during the weeks of February 23 and March 2.
The Fellow will be selected by March 15.
The Fellow will be announced in late March.

Requirements:

Current ASLA membership

How to Apply:

Submit your application by Monday, February 16 by 11.59 PM EST.

The application requires these components:

Cover letter (500 words or less, PDF)

• Outline why you are best suited for the fellowship
• Highlight practice or research experience, including links:
  • For practitioners: Portfolio of 3-5 projects
  • For academics: Portfolio of 3-5 research studies
  • For hybrid: Mix of projects and research
• Identify your advocacy goals for the fellowship

CV (no more than 5 pages, PDF)

Writing sample (PDF)

• One example of published narrative writing for non-academic audiences (articles, blog posts, newsletter, etc.); identify if any editor involved

Presentation sample (PDF, 10MB max)

• One example of a presentation deck for public audiences

Each of these application components will be weighted equally in application scoring.

Applications will be reviewed and scored by three members of the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Committee Advocacy Subcommittee. Finalist interviews will be conducted by ASLA staff and a Committee leader.

Submit application