Our Recent Wins in the Fight against Marine Debris and Single-Use Plastics
Miami Beach Single-use plastics ban! (thanks to our Activism) Looks like our August 2017 causeway cleanup with then-candidate, now Mayor Gelber made a big impact. Miami Beach has JUST passed a ban on single-use plastic bags and plastic straws/stirrers on city property. Thank you to Mayor Dan Gelber for initiating this and to Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora for co-sponsoring […]
Students becoming Change Makers
Commissioner Ken Russell proclaims May 12, 2016 as “Henry West Lab 5th Grade Class Day” for their work in raising awareness of plastic trash in Biscayne Bay and taking action with shoreline cleanups. Story after the video. It all started with an exceptional teacher who invited me to come in and give a presentation on Plastic […]
See something, Say something
I did a little unplanned cleanup while on vacation at Blue Springs State Park in Florida the other day when I discovered polystyrene pieces littered where tons of birds hang out just to the left of the canoe rental launch. Come to figure out that the foam pieces came from uncovered foam buoys that the […]
Floatopia Redo Sept 2015
We’re not one to give up on a tough challenge, so when the Floatopia ‘organizer’ (this is an informal gathering spread via social media) contacted us again, said the next Floatopia would take place in Miami Beach in just a few weeks (September 5, 2015), and asked if we would help with eco-engagement, we immediately […]
Floatopia 2015
Every year, a very large unsanctioned / unpermitted event called Floatopia brings 2-3,000 people with pool floats to Miami Beach as a result of a very effective social media concept. Every year locals complain about the amount of litter that ends up on the beach and in the waters. This year, a couple eco-groups decided […]
Teaching 5th Graders
I got an email out of the blue from a 5th grade teacher who heard about my work. She had been teaching her students about trash in the waters, and and asked if I we could coordinate a cleanup for her 45 students. The plan ultimately evolved into a one hour presentation to the students and then […]
Miami Beach BANS Polystyrene
In a major win for environmental activists (including myself, Michael DeFilippi, Surfrider SoFla, and Biscayne Bay Water Keepers), The City of Miami Beach has voted UNANIMOUSLY to ban Polystyrene food takeout containers from Miami Beach parks and sidewalk cafes. City vendors and restaurants that operate on city sidewalks cannot use the product. The ban was […]
Lobbying City of Miami Beach to ban Polystyrene Food Containers
Had a good day lobbying the City of Miami Beach with my allies Michael DeFilippi, Surfrider SoFla, and Sean ‘Birdman’ Gould (Birdmans Trash Initiative) to ban Polystyrene (similar to Styrofoam) Take Out containers and cups. As usual, I decided to bring visual aids – 2 shopping bags full of foam that I picked up in […]
“Man vs. Trash” in the Miami Herald
Miami Beach kayaker is on mission to clean up city’s waterways and help alleviate backed-up drains Miami Herald – Front Page of B Section – Sunday May 15,2014 Read the full article here: https://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/15/3997477/miami-beach-kayaker-is-on-a-mission.html#storylink=cpy
Dave Doebler Awarded “Key to the City of Miami Beach”
Commissioner Michael Grieco recently presented Doebler with a key to the city to thank him for bringing the issue to the city’s attention. “This is garbage that pollutes our waters, that clogs our drainage system for flooding,” Grieco said. “This is something that I have taken to heart, that we as a commission have decided […]