Why I Clean Miami’s Mangroves
I’ve spent the last seven years removing 27,690 pounds of trash from South Florida’s mangrove swamps. In 2019, I walked (more like stumbled in a pain-induced fugue state) the Miami Marathon carrying 35 pounds of mangrove trash. That pack now sits in the HistoryMiami Museum. I don’t have a nonprofit.…
Why I Removed 30,000 Pounds of Trash from the Mangroves
I made it, everyone! The Dirty Thirty. The Double Quinceañera. 30,000 pounds of trash. It’s been a hell of a ride. You can’t spend 163 days in the mangroves collecting and lugging 15 tons of trash on your back without accumulating some scars along the way. Stepping on an upright…
I Removed 11,000 Pounds of Trash from a City of Miami Park. This is What I Learned.
Once a week, I spent the day pulling hundreds of pounds of other people’s trash from Virginia Key’s North Point Park. It took 12 months to clear all 1.5 miles of mangrove swamps and sand dunes ringing this public park a ten-minute drive from Downtown Miami’s skyscrapers. Here’s the final…
In the News
He’s cleared 35,000 pounds of trash from Miami’s mangroves and isn’t done yet
The Washington Post
Andrew Otazo has picked up 22,000 pounds of trash in South Florida.
The Dan LeBatard Show
Hurricane Ian dumped trash on the beach. These guys picked up 310 pounds of it.
The Washington Post
Florida Man goes to new depths to clean up trash
The Weather Channel
