<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4NQgd4_1DuFLiyN00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4NQgd4_1DuFLiyN00" width="1200" height="600" >LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A McNeese State University student has been selected for one of Louisiana’s most prestigious conservation leadership programs — and for her, the work is deeply personal.Darice Johnson, a sophomore from Iowa is one of 25 undergraduate students chosen for the 2026-2027 Edgar Veillon Conservation Leadership Corps, a tuition-free leadership program offered through the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. She is the only student selected from Southwest Louisiana and the first McNeese student to participate since 2022.Throughout the year, students will take part in hands-on field experiences, meet with conservation professionals, and tackle some of Louisiana’s most pressing environmental challenges — from coastal erosion to wildlife habitat loss. The program wraps up with participation in the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s Annual Convention, where students witness the conservation policy process firsthand.Zac Burson, a board member with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation who helped select this year’s cohort, said Southwest Louisiana’s inclusion in the program is significant.“Lake Charles and the region is an epicenter of all the good things that are happening for conservation in Louisiana — and some of the greater challenges,” Burson said.Johnson, who has been showing cattle since age 11, said her love of animals and the land drew her to conservation. The McNeese Agricultural Department encouraged her to apply, and she said she knew immediately she wanted to be a part of it.“I’m so glad that McNeese was included in this and that I was chosen to represent McNeese going in there,” Johnson said. “Because I know we’re not the biggest school, but we are the biggest at heart.”Johnson is the only student selected from Southwest Louisiana. Her father worked as an oysterman and shrimper in Cameron Parish — and she says protecting that way of life is exactly why she applied.“It gets emotional because that was my parents’ livelihood. That was my grandparents’ livelihood. That’s how they lived. That’s how they made their money,” Johnson said. “So it’s definitely sad to hear, but that’s why we are here to bring it back up and to keep it safe.”The Louisiana Wildlife Federation says the program exists to connect passionate students with conservation professionals and to prepare the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of conservation in Louisiana.This year’s cohort represents 11 colleges and universities across the state. Johnson begins the year-long program this fall with her first conference in September in Baton Rouge. Applications for the 2027-2028 cohort open in spring 2027.</div></body>

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LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A McNeese State University student has been selected for one of Louisiana’s most prestigious conservation leadership programs — and for her, the work is deeply personal. Darice Johnson, a sophomore from Iowa is one of 25 undergraduate students chosen for the 2026-2027 Edgar...

McNeese student selected for statewide conservation leadership program

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LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A McNeese State University student has been selected for one of Louisiana’s most prestigious conservation leadership programs — 

McNeese student selected for statewide conservation leadership program

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