NAFEW 2026 provides complimentary registration to professional journalists and journalism educators and students for the purpose of gathering news and information to produce media coverage. 

Press registrants receive a badge that provides access to all scientific sessions, including plenary, general, special, and poster presentation sessions. Trainings and workshops are not open to press badge holders. Press registrants must wear their badge and identify themselves as journalists when speaking with NAFEW participants about material that may be included in media coverage. 

All press badges are issued at the discretion of the NAFEW 2026 Organizing Committee and are non-transferable. All registrants must provide credentials. 

To apply for a press badge, please email office@fireecology.net and indicate your credentials. We will then provide instructions for how to register.

Credential Policy 

Journalists 

• Includes journalists who regularly report, edit or produce news on ecological science, natural resource management, or environmental conservation and are employed at a news media outlet that reports directly to the general public.  

• Staff journalists must present a press card, business card or webpage of a recognized media outlet stating their name, title and affiliation. 

Freelance journalists 

• Includes freelance journalists who regularly report or produce news on the ecological sciences, natural resource management, or environmental conservation for a news media outlet that reports directly to the general public. 

• Freelance journalists must present three bylined news reports on ecological science, natural resource management, or environmental conservation intended for the general public and published in the past two years. 

Journalism educators and students 

• Includes current students (including incoming/admitted and spring 2026 graduates) in a college or university journalism program who intend to produce media coverage for the general public, or faculty of a college/university journalism program who are attending to facilitate student coverage of the meeting. 

• Students must present evidence of current enrollment in a college/university journalism program or a letter from a faculty supervisor. Faculty must present a business card or webpage clearly showing their job position.