Meet Caymus Maxson, the 16-year-old California teen who started Trash Turtles at 10, led 50+ beach cleanups, removed 6+ tons of debris, recycled 75,000+ cigarette butts and became a 2026 Barron Prize winner

Maxson said the decision to start Trash Turtles came from seeing rubbish being pushed towards the sea (Photo: Surfrider)

At 10, Caymus ‘CO’ Maxson noticed something wrong on a beach in Madeira Beach, Florida. In February 2020, she saw beach trash being raked towards the water’s edge. She realised that the incoming tide could carry the waste into the sea and decided to act.Maxson soon started Trash Turtles, a youth-focused environmental nonprofit with the mission to ‘Save the planet one piece of trash at a 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.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. It has also cleaned more than 300 miles of beaches and collected more than 75,000 cigarette butts, which were recycled through TerraCycle. The organisation has also raised $8,000 to fund three water refill stations at local schools.Maxson’s work has now received national 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. The 2026 winners include young people working in areas such as environmental protection, technology, education and community service.

Small action becomes youth movement

Maxson said the decision to start Trash Turtles came from seeing rubbish being pushed towards the 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. That moment became the start of Trash Turtles,” Maxson said as qouted by Surfrider Foundation.The organisation’s approach is based on the idea that environmental action does not always require a large campaign or a complicated solution. It can begin with a small action, such as picking up a piece of rubbish.This idea also became the #LeaveWith3 movement. 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.“#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,” Maxson said.

More than six tons of debris removed

The numbers behind Trash Turtles show how small actions have grown over time. The organisation says it has removed more than six tons of trash and marine debris and cleaned more than 300 miles of beaches.It has also collected and recycled more than 75,000 cigarette butts through TerraCycle. Cigarette butts are among the waste items targeted by the organisation as it works to reduce pollution around coastal areas.Trash Turtles has also raised $8,000 to fund three water refill stations at local schools. The project aims to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles. The organisation has awarded $8,500 through its Hope Scholarship programme to eight young people.“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,” Maxson said.

Focus on plastic waste

Beach cleanups are only one part of Trash Turtles’ work. Its Straw Change Campaign focuses on single-use plastic waste, including discarded plastic straws and packaging associated with products such as Capri Sun.The organisation’s approach involves identifying an environmental problem, documenting it, educating people about it and asking for change. Its work therefore goes beyond simply removing waste from beaches.Trash Turtles also focuses on helping young people understand that they can participate in solving environmental problems in their own 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. She also took part in youth leadership activities, including the 2024 Hope in Action Summit at Tropicana Field.“Young people can bring a different perspective, and our voices can make a real difference,” Maxson says.

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. It has also worked with sustainable brands.Maxson has also worked on environmental storytelling and media projects. Along the way, she has met and collaborated with people including Dr Jane Goodall, Ian Somerhalder and Caulin Donaldson of Trash Caulin.The organisation has now moved its headquarters from Florida to Pacific Grove, California, bringing its youth-focused approach to ocean conservation to Monterey Bay.“I have come to understand that environmental issues usually stem from a normalization of everyday systems that have never been challenged,” Maxson said. “That realization makes me hopeful, because it means that change is only one choice away,” she said.Trash Turtles joined Surfrider Monterey for California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday at Sand City.