Fellows pose outside the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond at the end of VCN Partner Intern & Fellow Day.

Virginia Conservation Network recently hosted its third Intern & Fellow Day at the VCN office in Richmond, bringing together interns and fellows from across our Network. This event allowed us to create bonds and strengthen friendships across VCN by blending education, networking, and firsthand exploration of Virginia’s conservation landscape.

See the highlights of our Intern & Fellow Day below!

Our Environmental Leadership Fellows, Corinne, Nicholas, and Jack, kicked off the day with an introduction to VCN, explaining VCN’s mission and role within Virginia’s environmental community. This presentation also provided context to fellows and interns on the importance of collaboration among the VCN Network to ensure a coordinated conservation movement. 

Afterwards, interns and fellows enjoyed some fun networking activities, led by Environmental Leadership Fellows, Sidnie, Katia, and Grace. These activities gave everyone a chance to connect and get to know one another while playing Pictionary, participating in a word cloud activity, and coloring custom VCN coloring pages in small groups facilitated by VCN Fellows. This networking hour fostered new friendships and boosted the collaborative spirit that drives our work!

Next, VCN fellows kicked off VCN’s fifth annual Summer Speaker Series with its first session: Building Careers, A Conversation with VCN Fellow Alumni. Three past VCN Fellows, Victoria Jenkins, Anjel Iriaghomo, and Pooja Mahesh, joined us virtually to share their insights and experiences as professionals in the environmental sector. The interns and fellows found the tips and encouraging words of these speakers valuable and a highlight of the day. 

Finally, our day culminated with a guided Capitol tour, where interns and fellows got a behind-the-scenes look at Virginia’s legislative landscape.  This immersive experience offered the group a tangible glimpse of their potential futures, empowering them to continue their advocacy.

Don’t worry, VCN still has one more webinar in our Summer Speaker Series! 

• Data Centers: The Environmental Cost of Efficiency: July 29 from 12pm-1:15pm