In fall 2024, NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation awarded The Nature Conservancy $12 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to fund the GulfCorps program for the next 3 years. Since 2017, GulfCorps has engaged more than 500 young people in hundreds of coastal restoration and conservation projects across the five Gulf Coast states.
Alexis Powell of Panama City, Florida, joined the Conservation Corps of the Forgotten and Emerald Coasts with GulfCorp’s partner Franklin’s Promise Coalition. She previously worked as a housekeeper for a national hotel chain but couldn’t pass up the chance to work outdoors. After one season, the Coalition offered her the communications and outreach coordinator position with “ReTree PC,” a new urban and community forestry crew in her hometown. The organization also helped her to reach her goal of becoming a pharmacy technician to supplement her income. However, her top priority is supporting her community and helping other young people realize their potential through the corps experience.
What were you doing before you joined GulfCorps?
Before joining GulfCorps, I worked for Hotel Indigo as a housekeeper. Then, I was training to become a security guard. But I let that go when I saw an advertisement for GulfCorps on Indeed.com. It looked like a great experience. Many people don't get to work outdoors and see our beautiful world. I had not thought about women being able to do work like using chainsaws and brush cutters. So, when I saw the opportunity, it sparked my interest.
What type of projects did you work on as a crew member?
We did a lot of trail maintenance and rebuilding boardwalks. We did prescribed burns, which is where you light brush on fire, but you monitor it so that it doesn't go out of control. That's basically to give our nature back the nutrients that it needs. We cut the brush to open it up for salamanders. I got to plant pine trees in Panama City Beach’s Conservation Park as well. I'll look forward to returning and seeing how big they have grown.
What has your time with GulfCorps helped you to achieve?
As the communications and outreach coordinator for ReTreePC, I’m most proud of being a better leader and learning to use different communication styles to reach more people. It was hard for me to learn in school because teachers didn’t understand that many kids need other types of learning structures. Understanding that I can talk to one person one way, but another person might need something different, has made me a better communicator. I can help many people find ways to make a better life for themselves and get jobs they love.
I’ve also been able to use goal setting to help me become a pharmacy technician at Walgreens. My next goal is to get a national pharmacy technician certification. But being a pharmacy technician is just plan B. My plan A is to help out the community the best way I can. If that means working for 40 years with the conservation corps, then that's what I'll do.
What advice do you have for people thinking about joining GulfCorps?
This is a great program, and I am very thankful for it. It helps you better yourself. If you don't know where you want to go 5 years from now, the program will help you figure that out. It helps young people realize there is more than college or being at home and having nothing to do. You can do something different and then think about college later. Because the positions are supported by AmeriCorps, you can earn an education scholarship to pay for school.
