Skip to content
Mongabay is thrilled to introduce our fourth cohort of outstanding journalists to the Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship Program.
As the urgency for impactful environmental journalism grows in the face of escalating environmental challenges, Mongabay is proud to welcome three exceptional journalists to the Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship. This program, designed to nurture the talents of emerging environmental journalists from biodiversity hotspots in tropical countries, aims to amplify voices crucial for fostering understanding and action on environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and conservation.
Meet the new fellows
This year, Mongabay was flooded with remarkable applications from all corners of the world. In sheer numbers, we received more than 1,000 submissions, making it a very competitive evaluation process.
We are pleased to welcome Tarinipre Francis from Nigeria, Choki Wangmo from Bhutan, and Juliet Akoth Ojwang from Kenya to the latest cohort. Each brings unique perspectives and dedicated expertise to Mongabay’s environmental and conservation newsroom, where they will participate in a continued effort to develop the latest generation of early-career journalists.
Tarinipre Francis
Tarinipre is a journalist from Nigeria who has worked in media and communications for six years. In the past year and a quarter, she has been an investigative journalist, covering social justice news and closely monitoring and reporting on government policies and responses to social and environmental issues in an effort to hold institutions accountable. In 2022, she covered the catastrophic floods that struck parts of Nigeria, giving accounts of how a lack of preemptive actions and slow disaster response led to its calamitous impact. Tarinipre holds a bachelor’s degree in history and diplomatic studies from the Niger Delta University.
Connect with Tarinipre
Find more about Tarinipre’s background on her Mongabay fellow profile, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Choki Wangmo
Choki Wangmo is a young award-winning communication professional and an independent journalist based in Thimphu, Bhutan. After completing her studies in sustainable development, she worked with the national newspaper of Bhutan, Kuensel, for more than four years. She is the winner of Balipara Foundation’s Green Journalist Award in the Eastern Himalayan Region, 2023; national winner of the Best Climate Change story, 2022; and three-time winner of Bhutan Media Foundation’s Climate Change Reporting grant, and the Journalists Association of Bhutan’s Rural Reporting grant. She is a National Geographic-trained photojournalist, having attended the photocamp series thrice in Bhutan and Washington, DC.
Choki’s interest in environmental journalism that combines in-depth research and digital communication is fueled by her upbringing in the rural landscape of the kingdom in the Eastern Himalayas. While not on assignment, Choki is hiking the pristine mountains and forests, reading and writing prose.
Connect with Choki
Find more about Choki’s background on her Mongabay fellow profile, LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.
Juliet Akoth Ojwang
Juliet Akoth Ojwang is a dedicated multimedia journalist with experience spanning three years reporting on climate change, environmental and conservation stories. With a passion for impactful storytelling, she focuses on solutions-oriented narratives that inspire positive change. Her work, published in renowned outlets such as Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and Talk Africa showcases her commitment to highlighting pressing environmental issues.
On the environmental beat, Juliet has reported on topics ranging from climate change and flooding’s impact on rising cases of teenage pregnancies to human-wildlife conflict along Lake Victoria’s shores and air pollution. Her investigative reporting extends to wetland restoration efforts, aiding communities in resource conservation and sustainable living practices.
Juliet’s coverage extends to global conservation events like the United Nations Environment Assembly and the Africa Climate Summit. Her exceptional reporting has garnered recognition, earning her grants from various media organizations.
Connect with Juliet
Find more about Juliet’s background on her Mongabay fellow profile, Twitter or LinkedIn.
About the Conservation Reporting Fellowship Program
Mongabay created the Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship Program to build the capacity of young and aspiring environmental journalists to cover biodiversity hotspots around the world.
The program provides opportunities for 12 journalists per year from tropical countries to report on critical environmental issues, to gain valuable training, experience and credibility that will help them advance their careers in journalism and communications.
About Mongabay
Mongabay is a nonprofit conservation and environmental science news outlet that delivers daily news and inspiration from Nature’s frontline via its local-language bureaus and global network of more than 800 journalists in nearly 80 countries. Mongabay’s evidence-driven journalism is syndicated by a wide range of outlets, greatly extending its reach beyond the 4 million people who access its information monthly. Mongabay is dedicated to publishing journalism that fills gaps in understanding by highlighting underreported issues and increasing transparency and accountability.