By Anthony Toppi
As we start the new year, we look to celebrate what drives Ocean Blue Project: our community. Volunteers
and partners are the heart of our mission to protect our One World Ocean. Every cleanup and partnership
shows that local action creates global change.
The Power of Community on Display
In summer 2025, we saw that power in action during a cleanup organized in partnership with
Mountain Rose Herbs, a Eugene-based, mission-driven company specializing in organic and
sustainably sourced herbs, spices, teas, and ingredients for herbalism. On a sunny August day,
11 volunteers gathered at Meadowland Park in Eugene, ready to make a difference. By the end,
they picked up over 70 pounds of plastic—a clear win for our rivers.
Cleanups like this happen in Oregon, California, Texas, and Florida. These events helped us
reach our big goal: remove 5 million pounds of trash by 2025. Each bag of trash means more
than clean shores—it shows care for places we love.
Want to learn more about how partnerships help ocean health? Explore our impact and ways to
get involved.
The Urgency of Protecting Our Oceans Persists
While these victories inspire hope, the urgency of protecting our oceans remains. Plastic
pollution is a huge problem—over 1,000 rivers send plastic into the oceans every year, according to
National Geographic. Once there, it breaks down into microplastics that infiltrate marine
ecosystems and even our food supply.
NOAA research underscores the severity of this issue: researchers have found microplastics in
97% of U.S. national park beaches. These findings remind us that our oceans are not
isolated—they are connected to rivers, wetlands, and freshwater systems that require unique strategies for protection. At Ocean Blue Project, we work at this critical intersection, addressing
both oceanic and riparian health.
Our multi-pronged approach combines immediate action with long-term solutions. Volunteer
cleanups empower local communities to tackle visible pollution today, while our educational
programs and advocacy efforts aim to prevent future harm. By bridging these efforts, we create
a model of stewardship that is both scalable and sustainable.
Looking to learn more about the connection between your local watershed, microplastics, and
climate change? Check out Ocean Blue Project’s blog or sign up for our newsletter to get the
latest information and insights.
Partnerships Enable Long-term Success and Sustainability
Behind every cleanup is a network of partners who share our vision. Partners give resources
and volunteers, but they also build a culture of care.
Mountain Rose Herbs exemplifies this commitment. As Joey Schneiderhan, their Sustainability
Specialist and cleanup organizer, explains:
“Our wetlands are part of the Long Tom Watershed, which eventually connects to the Willamette
River and makes its way to the Columbia River and the ocean. We are aware that by
remediating plastic and trash within our wetlands, we are helping stop the flow of downstream
pollution from eventually entering our oceans as microplastics and material that is harder to
contain.”
This perspective captures the essence of why partnerships matter: they transform isolated
actions into systemic solutions. What may have been a single beach clean-up event now lives
on as a larger connection and commitment to healthy ecosystems. Forming these partnerships
is critical to addressing the long-term impacts and challenges related to climate change and
preservation.
A Call to Action: Join Us in Making Waves
As we celebrate the progress made in 2025, we know the work is far from over. The health of
our oceans—and the watersheds that feed them—depend on continued collaboration and local
stewardship. Whether you’re an individual looking to volunteer, a business seeking to align your
values with action, or a donor ready to invest in lasting change, there is a place for you in this
movement.
Getting involved in a local project is one simple way to show your commitment to healthy
waterways for generations to come. Explore partnership opportunities, major gift programs, and
volunteer initiatives on our website.
Anthony Toppi is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas, with a passion for the outdoors,
sustainability, and national parks. His writing is informed by his early years growing up in Maine
and his previous work advocating for climate action with Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. and
across the globe.