Program Overview
The Halter Ranch Conservation Scholars (HARCS) program provides hands-on learning opportunities and financial support for undergraduates pursuing careers in conservation. The program offers students immersive academic, research and field-based experiences that prepare them for leadership in conservation and related fields. It combines a scholarship, a 10-week spring seminar and a paid summer internship at a partner conservation organization, giving undergraduates a continuous learn-then-apply pathway from the classroom to an active conservation project.
Who the Program is For
HARCS is designed for Cal Poly undergraduates with a genuine interest in applied conservation, regardless of major. Successful scholars typically:
- Are curious about California’s flora, fauna and working landscapes.
- Are comfortable spending full days outdoors in variable terrain and weather.
- Are motivated to design, carry out and communicate an independent project.
No prior research experience is required. Scholars come from biology, environmental management, animal science, agricultural science and other related programs.
What Scholars Do
The seminar includes weekly in-classroom meetings paired with field experiences at reserves and natural areas across San Luis Obispo County. Scholars also conduct small projects to get hands-on practice collecting conservation data. The course culminates with a weekend field trip and final presentations of each scholar's project.
After the seminar, each scholar transitions to a paid summer internship at a partner conservation organization. The internship is where scholars take on real-world projects: collecting data, contributing to ongoing monitoring, building maps and producing deliverables that the host organization can use.
Current interns, alumni and conservation partners will gather in the fall, where interns will have the opportunity to present their independent project results and share experiences from their internship in an informal symposium setting. Program alumni will remain connected to a network of mentors, both academic and professional, to support their transition to a career or further studies in conservation.
How to Apply
Applications open each fall for the following spring cohort. A link to apply will be provided when the application period opens, and interested students are also encouraged to reach out directly to the instructor.
For more information about the HARCS program, please contact Reed Kenny (rekenny@calpoly.edu).
Growing the Future of Conservation
This program is made possible through the generous support of Halter Ranch, whose commitment to conservation recognizes that preparing the next generation of environmental leaders requires immersive, hands-on education and strong partnerships among the organizations dedicated to understanding, preserving and protecting our natural world.
THE LAND ON WHICH WE LEARN
The land on which Cal Poly is situated carries the heritage and culture of the Indigenous people of San Luis Obispo County, the yak titʸu titʸu yak tithini, Northern Chumash tribe. We acknowledge that we live and work on their unceded land.
