Written by Ella Sole

Walking along the shoreline, a small plastic straw reflects the sun’s rays and catches a child’s eye, sparking a life dedicated to making a change in the man-made, polluted environment. At the age of 7, this is precisely what happened to Cash Daniels.

“Before that, I had always loved getting out on the river: fishing, kayaking, swimming, things like that. When I found that plastic straw, I knew it would harm the animals in the environment that I loved, so I knew I had to do something to help defend it,” said Daniels. “Due to that, I have been able to remove 46,000 pounds of trash from the river so far.”

Plastic waste is ever-present on the banks of the Tennessee River and Chattanooga Creek, harming aesthetics and the biodiverse habitats. With these waterways so close to Daniels’ home, he felt a personal responsibility to do something to help sustain and improve them. Daniels, now a 16-year-old Chattanooga, Tennessee native, has shown his passion for cleaning up the environment around him by constructing and placing fishing line recycling bins in six states.

He began by making an impact in his local community, enlisting the help of his family and friends to guide him on this journey to make a difference.

“I started doing regular old cleanups with my family, just going out and picking up trash,” Daniels said. “I got support from my church, Trail Life, and several other groups. And, my entire family is also very supportive.”

Getting the community together to come out and help was no easy task. Daniels and his family diligently organized cleanups, providing everything that the volunteers needed to succeed in the remediation efforts.

“Preparation for a cleanup is just me and my family finding a spot, and figuring out parking, getting buckets, trying to get people out, and making sure we have everything like buckets, bags, grabbers, gloves, things like that,” Daniels said.

Daniels began building his support through social media, using the nickname “The Conservation Kid,” to create and spread his mission across different platforms. 

“I started posting it on Instagram and Facebook,” Daniels said. “I went on several news stations and newspapers, and then it just started getting bigger and bigger.”

Being close to the Tennessee River, Daniels had easy access to a high-pollution area, mainly because of its location near downtown. Due to Chattanooga’s growing tourist population and traffic along the river, the city’s waterways have been indirectly affected by plastic waste, polluting the water and harming the vegetation and animals that inhabit them. 

“The Tennessee River in particular is one of the most polluted rivers with microplastics than any other river recorded in the entire world, and that’s just in my backyard,” Daniels said. “So it being there, and me knowing that I can do something about it, is really what got me involved, is knowing that I can make a difference.”

Frequent cleanups along the Tennessee River and similar bodies of water help remove harmful macro- and microplastics, preventing further contamination and environmental harm.

“Most trash is definitely in high traffic areas like parks, state parks, boat ramps, places like that,” Daniels said.

Daniels receives funding grants from organizations such as National Geographic’s Slingshot Challenge and Cox Enterprises. These grants enable cleanup projects, as Daniels maintains personal motivation from visiting schools to partake in monthly cleanups

“I’d say one way is just seeing the difference that I’ve made, whether that be all the trash that I’ve picked up, the animals that I saved, and also just seeing other kids get involved. I have had the pleasure of meeting several other youth who are in conservation,” said Daniels. 

Daniels continues to see the impact he has on his peers, fueling the energy and positivity around environmental efforts and activism within the youth. Reaching youth through his own community and his outside connections has been one of his primary missions.

“The biggest reward from my work is definitely meeting new people and going to new places,” Daniels said. “Also, just seeing kids that I go and give talks to get pumped up for conservation. It warms my heart to see other kids wanting to get involved.”

Even with increased environmental awareness in the 21st century, marine macroplastics persist in littering Chattanooga’s waterways. However, Cash Daniels and the next generation continue to create new efforts to clean up the local environment, reaching out to the community and using their voices to highlight the significance of preserving the aquatic biodiversity in Chattanooga and all around the world.

---

Meet the Storytellers