At 10, Caymus 'CO' Maxson noticed something wrong on a beach in Madeira Beach, Florida.
asserted
Maxson → notice → Beach
In February 2020, she saw beach trash being raked towards the water’s edge.
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trash → see → edge
She realised that the incoming tide could carry the waste into the sea and decided to act.
uncertain
tide → realise → sea
Maxson soon started Trash Turtles, a youth-focused environmental nonprofit with the mission to 'Save the planet one piece of trash at a time'.
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Maxson → start → time
Over the next six years, the organisation grew from a small effort on one beach into a network involved in beach cleanups, youth leadership and environmental campaigns.
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organisation → grow → cleanups
According to Surfrider Foundation
, Trash Turtles has now hosted more than 50 beach cleanups and removed more than six tons of trash and marine debris.
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Turtles → accord → trash
It has also cleaned more than 300 miles of beaches and collected more than 75,000 cigarette butts, which were recycled through TerraCycle.
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which → clean → TerraCycle
The organisation has also raised $8,000 to fund three water refill stations at local schools.
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organisation → raise → schools
Maxson’s work has now received national recognition.
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work → receive → recognition
She was named among the 2026 winners of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which recognises young people aged 8 to 18 for making a positive impact on people and the planet.
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which → name → people
The 2026 winners include young people working in areas such as environmental protection, technology, education and community service.
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winners → include → protection
Small action becomes youth movement
Maxson said the decision to start Trash Turtles came from seeing rubbish being pushed towards the sea.
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rubbish → become → sea
“I saw a problem with trash being raked to the water’s edge, where I knew the incoming tide could carry it out to sea, and I wanted to do something about it.
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I → see → it
That moment became the start of Trash Turtles,” Maxson said as qouted by Surfrider Foundation.
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Maxson → become → Foundation
The organisation’s approach is based on the idea that environmental action does not always require a large campaign or a complicated solution.
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action → base → campaign
It can begin with a small action, such as picking up a piece of rubbish.
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It → begin → rubbish
This idea also became the #LeaveWith3 movement.
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idea → become → ?
It encourages people to pick up and properly dispose of at least three extra pieces of trash wherever they are, including at school, work or the beach.
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they → encourage → school
“#LeaveWith3 was my way of taking a big problem and creating a simple solution that everyone could understand and participate in.
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everyone → take → that
The idea is that if each person picks up just three pieces of trash wherever they go, together we can leave the environment a little better than we found it,” Maxson said.
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Maxson → pick → it
More than six tons of debris removed
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tons → remove → debris
The numbers behind Trash Turtles show how small actions have grown over time.
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actions → show → time
The organisation says it has removed more than six tons of trash and marine debris and cleaned more than 300 miles of beaches.
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it → say → beaches
It has also collected and recycled more than 75,000 cigarette butts through TerraCycle.
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It → collect → TerraCycle
Cigarette butts are among the waste items targeted by the organisation as it works to reduce pollution around coastal areas.
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it → target → areas
Trash Turtles has also raised $8,000 to fund three water refill stations at local schools.
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Turtles → raise → schools
The project aims to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles.
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project → aim → bottles
The organisation has awarded $8,500 through its Hope Scholarship programme to eight young people.
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organisation → award → people
“What started with picking up trash on one beach has become so much more than I ever imagined.
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I → start → beach
It showed me that one small idea can grow into something that reaches people far beyond where it started,” Maxson said.
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Maxson → show → people
Focus on plastic waste
Beach cleanups are only one part of Trash Turtles’ work.
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Focus → focus → work
Its Straw Change Campaign focuses on single-use plastic waste, including discarded plastic straws and packaging associated with products such as Capri Sun.
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Campaign → focus → Sun
The organisation’s approach involves identifying an environmental problem, documenting it, educating people about it and asking for change.
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approach → involve → change
Its work therefore goes beyond simply removing waste from beaches.
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work → go → beaches
Trash Turtles also focuses on helping young people understand that they can participate in solving environmental problems in their own communities.
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they → focus → communities
Maxson has been involved with Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots USA and is serving her second term on the National Roots & Shoots Youth Council.
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Maxson → involve → Council
She also took part in youth leadership activities, including the 2024 Hope in Action Summit at Tropicana Field.
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She → take → Field
“Young people can bring a different perspective, and our voices can make a real difference,” Maxson says.
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Maxson → bring → difference
Moving to California
Trash Turtles has developed partnerships and collaborations with organisations including the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots USA, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Tampa Bay Watch, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Surfing’s Evolution, Preservation Foundation and Phillps.
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Turtles → move → Beautiful
It has also worked with sustainable brands.
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It → work → brands
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
