The Institute for Agricultural and Conservation Research and Education (ACRE) at the University of Memphis is partnering with the Wolf River Conservancy (WRC) on an internship opportunity for students thanks to a donation made possible by the William B. “Billy” Dunavant, Jr. Foundation.
The first intern will start Spring Semester 2026 and is open to students from all majors. The internship partnership was announced at the ACRE Colloquium by Wolf River Conservancy Executive Director Erik Houston.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the University of Memphis and the ACRE Institute,” Houston said. “We are also incredibly appreciative for the leadership, generosity and foresight of Tommie Dunavant and the William B. “Billy” Dunavant, Jr. Foundation in bringing this partnership together. We look forward to working with interns from the University who can bring fresh perspectives and creativity to our mission.”
“Through this internship, our students will help to advance ACRE and the Wolf River Conservancy’s mission,” said Jennifer Mandel, PhD, ACRE director and William B. “Billy” Dunavant Endowed Chair, Agritech and Sustainable Agriculture. “At ACRE our mission is training the next generation of agriculture and conservation scientists, so this opportunity helps advance conservation for future generations. Our hope is that this gives our students opportunities for careers and there is no better way to get your next step than through an internship.”
This is not the first time ACRE and WRC partnered together on conservation efforts in the community. Earlier this spring the duo teamed up with Ducks Unlimited and the UofM Ecology Conservation and Management class to plant 200 trees with the conservancy. That relationship continued to grow and eventually led to collaborating on an internship unique solely to students at the UofM with funding supporting one paid intern per year for the next ten years (ten students total).
“This opportunity is unique for students because they get an opportunity to do work that directly affects our watershed and makes a real difference for the long-term health, well-being and natural heritage of our local community,” Houston said. “The opportunity is unique for both the Wolf River Conservancy and the University of Memphis’ ACRE Institute because it is the start of a partnership between two leading organizations that share a conservation ethic and have complimentary capacity to effect positive environmental change in the region.”
According to WRC, interns will be working with their professional staff to deliver educational content, steward protected land, communicate with and provide outreach opportunities to the public and learn about the business of a leading accredited land trust. The Wolf River Conservancy has protected more than 21,500 acres of land and educated more than 75,000 students over the years.
“We have fantastic students, from biology and earth science to business and engineering, who are all looking for a way to get more involved in our community with the skills they are learning here at the UofM,” Mandel said. “This is such a great opportunity for them, and I’m hopeful other organizations will look to this partnership as a model for future internships for our students.”
