Cash is a Tennessee river angler in the 8th grade who cares passionately about the conservation of fresh and saltwater environments, especially plastic pollution. He describes a family vacation where he was excited to see sea turtles and rays, but at the same time, he became aware of how much plastic pollution was in their habitat. “Leaving the beach and returning home to a landlocked state was an odd feeling of hopelessness,” Cash shared. “How could I do anything from Tennessee? Then, I learned about how polluted and compromised our freshwater ecosystems are. I knew then, I could do something.”
Cash worked with Tennessee State Parks to place fishing line bins along waterways to reduce and prevent wildlife entanglement. “Over 300,000 birds entangled in fishing line annually,” he says, and that “improperly discarded fishing gear is the number one killer of sea turtles yearly.” This program has now spread to Florida, Michigan and Georgia. “To date, I have recycled over 5,000 miles of fishing line,” Cash shares. This collected fishing line is melted down and made into fish habitats.
Cash also hosts monthly trash cleanups in the Chattanooga area that have removed over 35,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River.
@theconservationkid on Instagram, Cash is co-founder of the nonprofit organization @thecleanupkids. He says he really enjoys speaking to other kids about the positive impact they too can have on the environment.
Learn more about BTT Youth Ambassadors.
