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.
Connor Robison, of Biloxi, Mississippi, served five seasons with Climb CDC, which manages the Mississippi GulfCorps program. He started as a crew member at age 18 and was later promoted to crew leader. The program helped him obtain his driver’s license and high school diploma. He now works as an operations manager for Climb CDC, mentoring new members. Over the years, he has convinced dozens of friends and acquaintances to join GulfCorps.
What were you doing before you joined GulfCorps?
I was working as a dishwasher and selling drugs. I was not doing any school or anything like that. Then, one day, a buddy called me and said there was an opening for a Corps member position with Climb CDC. I needed an extra job because I was trying to get away from hustling. There was one extra spot open, and I just hopped on there. I didn't know anything about conservation.
What type of projects did you work on?
I worked on restoring the Bennet Bayou coastal marsh and removed invasive species like apple snails from creeks and rivers. I did a couple of projects with pitcher plant bogs, helping them to flourish again. I've also surveyed the dusky gopher tortoise and gopher frogs and managed invasive plants like Japanese climbing ferns and cogon grass.
What have you gained through your participation in the GulfCorps?
I have done a whole 180 with my life. People in the program helped me to get glasses, my driver's license, and my high school diploma. Climb CDC’s [diploma program] is free for us, so we got to do it while we were working and getting paid. They get your transcripts from your previous school, and then you have to do courses. After those are completed, they do a mini graduation day so you can walk across the stage and get your high school diploma along with your family.
GulfCorps also helped me when I was going through difficult times. In 2020, my mom passed away, and then in 2022, I had my daughter. GulfCorps gave me time off to deal with that. I've gotten raises, and they've helped me with my budget and managing everything. Without them, I don't know where I would be today, to be honest.
What are you doing now?
I'm one of two operations managers for CLIMB CDC and we run the GulfCorps program. We’re in charge of running the crews, getting the projects, and making sure the Corps members complete their training and get their 500 project hours so they can complete the program. We also help them with their goals and strategies so they can pursue careers after GulfCorps. It feels great to be in a leadership role.
Can you talk about recruiting 30 people to join GulfCorps?
They saw how GulfCorps affected me. Before, I was robbing drug dealers and living the street life. My friends saw how GulfCorps gave me an opportunity to get away from all that. I got my high school diploma, learned professionalism, and focused on a career and life that would lead me somewhere—not a ditch or prison. They saw that, and they wanted the same thing. Some of them progressed, too. I got a buddy who's a foreman at a tree company now because of his experience. I got another buddy who's gotten into the Forest Service.
Do you have any advice for future GulfCorps members?
I mean, no matter where you are in life, life's going to keep trying to knock you down. You just don't give up and keep trying to find a better path. That's what I did. It's working out for me so far.
