Forest Service Employee Recognized Nationally for ‘Making a Difference in Conservation’

Release Date: May 10, 2021

Huger, S.C. – May 7, 2021 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Francis Marion National Forest is pleased to announce that one of its employees has been recognized nationally as a young leader who is ‘making a difference in conservation.’

Allison Williams, an information assistant on the Francis Marion National Forest since 2018, was recently named among the top 10 young leaders under 40 in the United States who are making a difference in natural resource conservation and education by the National Parks and Conservation Association. As part of her duties on the National Forest, Allison conducts community outreach and volunteer coordination to connect people of all ages and backgrounds to the land in the greater Charleston, South Carolina, area.

“My passion for community and public lands keeps me focused on the future,” Williams said. “It’s really uplifting to be recognized as a millennial working in this (natural resources) field because it can be challenging to move forward and up.”

Williams has formal training in recreation. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Williams uses her voice and platforms to engage communities in conservation and advocate for public lands. Williams spreads outdoor joy in everything she does, from volunteer trail maintenance to camping to yoga. Williams graduated from Southern University A&M College in 2007. Her journey in the professional world started as an aquatics professional before she changed careers almost 10 years later to become a Student Conservation Association AmeriCorps member in North Florida with the USDA Forest Service.

Since then, Williams has hiked and volunteered on many trails across the United States and abroad. Williams shares her passion for public lands, hiking with friends, nature viewing at the beach, car camping and volunteering with a trail maintenance team. Williams inspires others to connect with nature while working to help the Forest Service better meet the needs of current and future generations.

“We are extremely proud of Allison,” said Robert Stewart, recreation program manager for the Francis Marion National Forest. “Allison is very passionate and one of those passions is connecting people to the outdoors. She loves to interact with her community and is always looking for new and innovative ways to get folks involved with their National Forest in the rapidly growing Charleston area. She actively participates in community outreach events and works to develop and strengthen relationships with partners to engage youth conservation education programs.”

Williams conducts many public outreach and education programs on the Francis Marion National Forest and regularly works at the Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education Center in Awendaw to engage youths and adults in outdoor education programs. She has a special interest in connecting local African Americans to their public lands in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

“It is a joy to engage local groups including Outdoor Afro S.C., Brown Girls Hike and the South Carolina chapter of Conservationists of Color to help connect a diverse group of people with the Francis Marion National Forest,” Williams said. “Our national forests are here for everyone to explore and enjoy.”

To learn more about the 10 Young Leaders Under 40 Making A Difference for Conservation, visit: https://www.npca.org/articles/2905-10-under-40

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