Isabella: Tell us a bit about yourself?
Caulin: My name is Trash Caulin- on Tik Tok because I started going out and picking up trash. This all started when I was working on the beach I had a lot of people come buy cabanas from me. They were all like “I love visiting St. Pete it is my favorite place in the world” and then they would leave with all of their beer cans, trash, and food in the sand. I never really understood that.. So I kinda started picking up after people and I posted it on Instagram one day. People immediately said “that is awesome what you are doing, keep doing it”. So I transitioned it to Youtube and then Tik Tok and now it's been almost a whole year of me coming out here every day and picking up trash.
Isabella: Have you completed 365 days yet?
Caluin: Close I am on day 344!
Isabella: That is so cool, I remember when I met you at Madeira Beach you were around 30 days in a row of picking trash.
Isabella: What are you most excited about now?
Cauiln: Oh man.. There are a ton of opportunities that have started to come from this. It is very unique to me what I am doing because I do not have a background in this stuff. So I am learning as I am going and learning as I am teaching. Everything that I start telling these kids about is something that I am learning myself. I am really excited to find more solutions, talk to cool people and really see the world. I feel like if I see the world it makes me want to save it more.
Isabella: It’s cool because you're taking people on your own personal journey and inspiring them to have their own.
Caulin: Yeah and it feels really authentic too. I get a lot of wholesome comments and support.
Isabella: What makes you a Peaceful Green Warrior?
Caulin: What makes me a Peaceful Green Warrior is exactly lining up with the name. I am not going to attack you if our views don’t align. However, I want to educate and show people how to take care of the planet and each other leading by action and example.
Isabella: Do you have any advice for people who don’t know where to start? They may be in a different town or city and they want to help the planet but don’t know how?
Caulin: Yes! Really find that one thing that speaks to you and got you pulled into start caring about the Earth. Focus on why you care about that and try to spread that around to family and friends. The one thing I will stay is do not stop; once you start you're in it do no stop. It will take you to amazing places you'll meet amazing people. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't take you to where you want to go right away.
Isabella: Have you had any low points on this journey so far where you are second guessing yourself? I know I have.
Caulin: Yeah.. man.. Now that I have been doing this for almost a year I can look back at each day and see what's happened to me over the past year. I've been through some crazy things. I've been to the hospital three times. I've done really cool things, I've done really crazy things. There are some mornings when I wake up and i'm like ‘how am I about to go out to the beach right now and shoot a video’. And then I do it. After a month or so it became a habit. There are low days. But what always brightens my day is coming out here and picking up the trash it always seems to turn my mood around.
Isabella: Do you have any favorite stories while picking up trash, I am sure you have something interesting?
Caulin: I'll tell you my craziest story! This was early on into my video series. It was day 17 I remember it like it was yesterday. I went to Tyrone Mall and I didn't bring a glove but I decided to pick up some trash real quick and make a video before going home. The first piece of trash I found was a plastic bag sitting in the middle of a packed parking lot. I bare handed swooped grabbed it. As soon as I did that I looked in and saw it was filled with bloody syringe needles. I lost my mind! I was so terrified. I'm telling you there was blood in this bag everywhere… I went immediately to the hospital. Thankfully the way I grabbed it I did not piece or poke my skin. But the fact that I walked away unscaved is amazing to me and from that day on I always bring a glove.
Isabella: Why is taking care of our planet and each other important?
Caulin: I think taking care of each other and our planet is extremely important because this is the only planet we have. This is the only place we have to go and we have to share it with all of us. Taking care of where we live and taking care of each other here is more important than anything I can even think of.
Isabella: It seems like a no brainer to me doesn't it? We grow up learning to keep our room clean but we continue to dump on our planet.
Caulin: Yeah.. and it's all about love.
I am literally a germaphobe, I hate people's germs but I come out here every single day touching cig butts and trash just because I don't like seeing it. I love our planet. If I can do it anyone can do it.
Isabella: Thats right if Trash Caulin can do it, anyone can do it I really believe that! I think it is about opening our eyes too. The world is a beautiful place but there is a lot of work to be done. If you really look around there are little cig butts and plastic pieces everywhere.
Caulin: It takes a little more focus and eye for detail. I also don't come out to the beach everyday and pick up 2 big bags of trash. I pick up a digestible amount of trash that I feel I won't break my back over. But it's the consistency of coming out here and doing it every single day.
Isabella: I think the key is make a positive impact everywhere you are. Leave every place better than how you found it.
Today on 12/4/20 Caulin in on Day 357 of picking up trash. He is doing 12 days of 'Trashmas’ leading up to his 365 days in a row on 12/12/20 where he will be hosting a clean up with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Yesterday he was out cleaning up our ocean with the lovely crew from 4Ocean. Follow him on Tik Tok, Youtube, and Instagram under Trash Caulin.
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