CWF Orville Erickson Memorial Scholarship Grant

CWF Orville Erickson Memorial Scholarship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Canadian Wildlife Federation
Amount: C $500 - C $4,000
Last Updated: June 28, 2025

Summary

The CWF Orville Erickson Memorial Scholarship, managed by the Canadian Wildlife Foundation, honors the legacy of conservationist Orville Erickson. Established in 1975, it provides financial support for full-time students pursuing higher education in conservation-related fields. Scholarships range from $500 to $4,000, rewarding those who demonstrate commitment to wildlife preservation. Eligible candidates must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants, enrolled in recognized educational institutions, and passionate about environmental stewardship.

Overview

The Canadian Wildlife Foundation Canadians care deeply about wildlife and the vast, sweeping spaces they call home, both are a large part of Canada’s image as a land of rugged beauty. The Canadian Wildlife Foundation shares this vision and works with Canadians from coast to coast to maintain something very important — a bright future for Canada’s wildlife. Caring begins with knowing. The Canadian Wildlife Foundation believes this is a crucial, first step toward ensuring a healthy future for Canada’s wildlife. There are so many ways you can make a difference to the kind of legacy we leave behind… not just for wildlife, but also for our children. Help CWF ensure a healthy future for Canada’s wildlife. Orville Erickson Memorial Scholarships The Orville Erickson Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1975 in memory of an outstanding conservationist and outdoorsman, the late Orville Erickson, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Scholarships range in value from $500 to $4,000. Orville Erickson Orville Erickson’s love of the outdoors and interest in conservation carried him to the office of President of the Canadian Wildlife Federation, a post he served so well that he was acclaimed Canadian Outdoorsman of the Year – 1975. Erickson held a variety of conservation and municipal positions during his lifetime and in 1968, he was named ‘Citizen of the Year’ in his home city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. During his short but busy life, Erickson found time to be a successful businessman, a good husband and father while working hard for the things he believed in. Before he became President of CWF, he served as president for both the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation in 1969 and 1970 and the Prince Albert Branch in the 60’s becoming a respected voice for sportsmen throughout Canada. Orville was passionate about legislation for firearm registration and also about the illegal hunting and selling of wild meat. In 1974 Orville was awarded the Gordon Lund Memorial Trophy for outstanding contributions to conservation, known as one of Saskatchewan’s foremost leaders in the field of conservation. His passion was the outdoors and Orville made sure to meet with those who could affect change in Canada; meeting with natives to discuss conservation issues, international field biologists, former Prime Minister Diefenbaker, and the president of the National Wildlife Federation in the United States. At his untimely death in August of 1975, he was fishing with friends in northern Saskatchewan. In recognition of his contribution, the Orville Erickson Memorial Scholarship Fund (OEMSF) was established to carry on, with his same enthusiasm and spirit, the search for solutions to our environmental difficulties. The OEMSF is administered by the Canadian Wildlife Foundation. The OEMSF is financed entirely with monies raised in the private sector through the voluntary efforts of Orville Erickson’s friends. The people involved in generating these funds, and those concerned with their expenditure, have expressed the wish that these hard earned resources be used to assist financially, students demonstrating the same type of commitment and enthusiasm for conservation as Orville Erickson did during his lifetime. Some of the programs that previous OEMSF winners have studied include Biological Studies, Zoology, Global Resource Systems, Ecosystem Management, Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ecological Restoration, Environmental Sciences. Purpose The purpose of the OEMSF is to provide financial assistance to students pursuing higher education in the field of conservation.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. All applicants must be competent, full-time students registered in a recognized Canadian educational institute.Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible.Applicants be citizens of Canada, or landed immigrants, with the intent of working in Canada. The scholarship may be used to help cover living expenses.

Ineligibility

The scholarship may not be applied to the purchase of equipment or vehicles at any time.