One Piece at a Time: Meet CO and the Young Conservation Movement Behind Trash Turtles
From a 10-year-old seeing beach trash being pushed toward the ocean to building a youth-led environmental organization with more than 6 tons of debris removed, Trash Turtles is bringing a new generation of coastal stewardship to Monterey Bay.
Sometimes conservation starts with simply noticing something that isn't right, and deciding you're not going to walk past it.
In February 2020, CO was just 10 years old when they saw beach trash being raked directly back toward the ocean in Madeira Beach, Florida.
What happened next is a reminder that you don't have to wait until you're older to make a difference. Caymus “CO” Maxson started Trash Turtles, a youth-focused environmental nonprofit built around a simple mission:
Save the planet one piece of trash at a time.
“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. That moment became the start of Trash Turtles.” Caymus “CO” Maxson
Six years later, that simple idea has grown into a 501(c)(3) organization, a growing network of partnerships and alliances, hundreds of miles of beach cleanups, youth leadership initiatives, environmental campaigns, and measurable results.
And now, Trash Turtles has a new home in Pacific Grove, California.
That makes us at the Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter especially excited to welcome them into the Monterey Bay conservation community.
[Meet the Trash Turtles: Sept 19th - SIGN UP Now!]
#LeaveWith3
The organization's philosophy remains remarkably accessible: environmental action doesn't always have to begin with a massive campaign, a large organization or a complicated solution. Sometimes it starts with picking something up.
Then picking up another.
Then another.
That philosophy eventually became the #LeaveWith3 movement, encouraging people to pick up and properly dispose of at least three extra pieces of trash wherever you go, school, work, or the beach. It is a small action with a big idea behind it:
If enough of us make small changes, those actions add up.
“#LeaveWith3 was my way of taking a big problem and creating a simple solution that everyone could understand and participate in. 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.” Caymus “CO” Maxson
CO and her family pose at a Clean Up. After CO founded Trash Turtles, it became something the whole family could participate in. Cooper Maxson, Jennifer Engel, Caymus Maxson, Bryan Maxson
Photo: Randy Maxson
The Numbers Tell a Bigger Story
Trash Turtles' accomplishments are impressive by any measure. They are even more remarkable when you remember that this organization began with a 10-year-old who saw a problem on a beach.
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6+ tons of trash and marine debris removed
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300+ miles of beaches cleaned
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75,000+ cigarette butts collected and recycled through TerraCycle
But the impact doesn't stop with cleanup. Trash Turtles has also raised $8,000 to fund three water refill stations at local schools, helping reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles.
The organization has awarded $8500 in Hope Scholarship funding to eight young people, supporting the next generation of environmental leaders.
Those numbers represent more than trash removed or dollars raised. They represent people taking action.
And they demonstrate what can happen when young people are given the opportunity, and the encouragement, to lead.
“What started with picking up trash on one beach has become so much more than I ever imagined. It showed me that one small idea can grow into something that reaches people far beyond where it started.” Caymus Maxson
Conservation Is More Than a Cleanup
Picking up trash is where the story began, but Trash Turtles has grown far beyond beach cleanups.
The organization's Straw Change Campaign focuses on single-use plastic waste, including discarded plastic straws and packaging associated with products such as Capri Sun.
See the problem. Document it. Educate people. Ask for change.
That is an important distinction. Trash Turtles isn't simply asking people to pick up trash.
It is helping young people understand that they can become participants in solving the environmental problems they see around them.
Building the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the Trash Turtles story is its focus on youth leadership.
The organization has been involved with Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots USA, including participation in youth leadership events such as the 2024 Hope in Action Summit at Tropicana Field and Caymus is serving in her second term on the National Roots & Shoots Youth Council.
Through these connections, CO's work has become part of a much larger conversation about how young people can participate in environmental and community change.
“Young people can bring a different perspective, and our voices can make a real difference.” Caymus Maxson
CO meets and chats with Dr. Jane Goodall before she speaks at the conclusion of the 2024 Tampa Bay Roots & Shoots Hope in Action Youth Summit. Photo: Jennifer Engel
And that network is impressive.
Trash Turtles has developed relationships and collaborations with organizations 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. along with sustainable brands such as Allbirds and Kulani Kinis.
The organization has also been involved with environmental storytelling and media projects, including TRASHY: A Zero Waste Film.
Along the way, CO has had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with people such as Dr. Jane Goodall, Ian Somerhalder and Caulin Donaldson of Trash Caulin.
Trash Turtles has also received attention from media outlets and organizations on a regular basis including:
For an organization that began with a 10-year-old picking up beach trash, the reach is remarkable.
A New Chapter in Monterey Bay
Now the Trash Turtles story has reached a new coastline.
The organization has relocated its headquarters from Florida to Pacific Grove, California, bringing its youth-focused approach to ocean conservation to Monterey Bay.
“I’ve come to understand that environmental issues usually stem from a normalization of everyday systems that have never been challenged,” says Caymus. “That realization makes me hopeful, because it means that change is only one choice away.” Caymus Maxson
Caymus Maxson "CO" presents to the Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots Youth Council at their 2026 Summit in Chicago, Il. Photo: Eric Guzzetta- Jane Goodall Institute
For those of us working every day to protect this coastline, we're excited about what that means. Monterey Bay already has an extraordinary community of people and organizations working to protect our ocean, beaches, dunes and wildlife. Trash Turtles adds something important to that community:
A Strong Youth Voice.
And that matters. Environmental stewardship doesn't belong to one generation. It is something we build across generations. Experienced coastal advocates have something to offer young environmental leaders. Young leaders bring new energy, new ideas and a different perspective to the work.
When those things come together, everybody benefits.
Why Surfrider Monterey Is Excited to Collaborate
Our community partnership with Trash Turtles is rooted in something simple:
We believe in the power of people coming together around the places they love.
“Collaboration has been a key part of Trash Turtles since the beginning. Bringing it to Monterey has given us the opportunity to build new partnerships while continuing to grow our impact nationally, from the work we started in Florida to recent scholarship recipients in California, Ohio, and South Carolina.” Caymus Maxson
Surfrider Monterey has spent years bringing volunteers and community members together to protect Monterey Bay. Trash Turtles brings a youth-led approach to that same work. Together, there is an opportunity to connect:
- Experience + energy
- Advocacy + education
- Coastal protection + youth leadership
- Long-term stewardship + immediate action
That connection is especially meaningful as we launch Behind the Dunes - The Coast You Never See in Sand City, California during the Annual California Coastal Commission and Save our Shores California Coastal Cleanup Day.
Behind the Dunes: The Coast You Never See
There is a part of the Sand City coastline that most people never see.
Behind the dunes, accumulated debris and abandoned materials have collected in areas that can be difficult for the public to access.
This year, Surfrider Monterey is using California Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19 as an opportunity to bring that hidden problem into view.
We're calling the effort:
Behind the Dunes
The goal is straightforward: Remove the debris.
A Young Leader Meets a Coast That Needs Us
This is why having Trash Turtles join us for Behind the Dunes is so exciting. CO started Trash Turtles because they saw something happening on a beach and decided to act. Now, here in Monterey Bay, we're inviting that same spirit into a place where there is plenty of work to do.
The debris behind the dunes isn't always easy to remove. Some of it is heavy. Some of it is large. Some of it has been there for a long time. It will take a community to move it.
And that's the opportunity.
- A young environmental leader.
- Experienced conservation organizations.
- Local businesses.
- Outdoor recreation communities.
- Families.
- Students.
- Volunteers.
All coming together around something remarkably simple:
This is our coast, and we can take care of it.
Trash Turtle Merchandise
Meet Trash Turtles on September 19
Trash Turtles will be joining Surfrider Monterey at Sand City for Coastal Cleanup Day, with a table and community outreach. Come meet CO and learn more about Trash Turtles.
- Learn about #LeaveWith3.
- Meet other local conservation organizations.
- And, most importantly, help us get the debris out from behind the dunes.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
September 19, 2026, Sand City, California
Whether you can give us a couple of hours or stay for the entire cleanup, we need you.
[SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR BEACH CLEANUPS]
Harry Parker is an Executive Committee Member and The Blue Water Task Force Program Director with the Monterey Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Harry works on documenting our events, article writing, and helps with our digital infrastructure for the Monterey Surfrider Chapter. A local photographer and marketer, Harry's long term goals in the non profit space are to become a Development Director and Legacy Giving Consultant.