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.
Eric Lucas of Mobile, Alabama, joined the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program pilot program in 2017. He then served as a GulfCorps member with the Student Conservation Association for three seasons, including one as an assistant crew leader. As a Corps member, he removed invasive species and marine debris, restored wetland and dune habitat, repaired park boardwalks, and mapped oyster habitat, among other projects. Today, he maintains parks and recreational facilities for Spanish Fort, Alabama. He and his wife recently bought a house and are expecting their first child.
What is your background and what did you do before joining GulfCorps?
I was honestly lost before GulfCorps. I didn't know what I was going to do after high school. Things were rough on me because I didn't get the opportunity to go to college. My mom worked at the Winn Dixie, and my father, a dock worker, became disabled. After graduation, I worked for a fast food restaurant for 3 or 4 weeks. I had to resign because I didn't have a car to get to work. Then December came around, and my father heard an ad on the radio for the Mobile Conservation Corps pilot program. The opportunity was awesome because it was only a 10-minute commute for me. At the time, I didn't know anything about conservation.
What was your favorite Gulf Corp project?
It would be seashore oyster reef mapping. We would go into the Mobile Bay and walk in the water wearing waders. We would get there by boat, hop out, and walk with our GPS and a long stick to test the soil. I never thought I would have a job that would take me miles from shore. It got me out of my comfort zone, most definitely. Before that, I wasn't a big fan of water, but this changed my mind.
What professional development did you receive as a GulfCorps member?
When I first started GulfCorps, there were a lot of things that I didn't know. On days when we were rained out from working outside, we could spend time learning about things that would benefit us in the future. They taught me all about the management of money and finance. And I took that to heart.
When we had our orientation at the beginning of each season, we had the opportunity to speak with many people who went through similar things, and they gave us lots of advice. We had the Corps Network, The Nature Conservancy, and NOAA personnel. I took advantage of their years of experience and eventually got a career in something I love. I’ve also started my own family and can provide for them. In the past, my biggest struggle was vehicles. Now I have many vehicles. I think my experience in the Corps made me a successful adult.
Can you tell us about your job working for the City of Spanish Fort?
I maintain the tennis court and ball fields and do all the landscaping and maintenance work in the parks. This is my first real job outside of the Gulf Corps, and I got it because of the experience I gained. I had so much on my resume and so many good references that they hired me immediately when I applied.
What advice would you give to young people considering joining the GulfCorps?
Keep an open mind. There's going to be plenty of opportunities for everyone to learn something. These are opportunities that a lot of people don't get. There's no other job I know of that will give you all the resources you may ask for. Nine times out of 10, whatever you ask for, someone's going to try to break their leg to get that for you. Having the door open with GulfCorps, the program welcoming everyone from different backgrounds, and being inclusive pushed me to work hard. They gave me the confidence to go further than I ever thought I could.
