Caymus 'CO' Maxson, 14, won the 2026 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for building a youth-led environmental movement that began with her picking up trash on a Florida beach. The award, which recognizes individuals aged 8 to 18 for their impact on society, highlights Maxson’s expansion of Trash Turtles from a single-beach initiative to a national network focused on ocean conservation.
The movement started in February 2020, when Maxson, then 10, noticed workers raking beach debris toward the water’s edge in Madeira Beach, Florida. She realized the tide would push the waste into the ocean and decided to intervene. That impulse sparked the creation of Trash Turtles, an organization dedicated to the simple, actionable goal of saving the planet one piece of trash at a time.
The numbers back up the effort. Since its inception, Surfrider Foundation data shows Trash Turtles has hosted more than 50 beach cleanups, removing over six tons of waste and 75,000 cigarette butts. The group has cleaned more than 300 miles of coastline and raised $8,000 to install water refill stations at local schools, reducing single-use plastic reliance.
Maxson’s strategy relies on low-barrier participation. She launched the #LeaveWith3 campaign, urging people to pick up just three extra pieces of trash wherever they go. “Young people can bring a different perspective, and our voices can make a real difference,” Maxson told the Foundation. The organization also runs a Straw Change Campaign targeting single-use plastics like Capri Sun packaging, collaborating with partners including the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots USA and Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Trash Turtles has now relocated its headquarters from Florida to Pacific Grove, California, extending its reach to Monterey Bay. Maxson, who serves on the National Roots & Shoots Youth Council, continues to expand the network, proving that a ten-year-old’s frustration with a dirty beach can grow into a multi-state conservation force.